


How You Turn my World, You Stranger Thing

by breejah



Series: Underground Upside Down: Labyrinth & Stranger Things Crossover Series [1]
Category: Labyrinth (1986), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Fantasy, Fondling, Horror, Labyrinth References, Oral Sex, Romance, Science Fiction, Sex, Stranger Things Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-02-15 01:27:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 80,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13020372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breejah/pseuds/breejah
Summary: Sarah is 18 and has moved to the small town of Hawkins Indiana, having long since left the Labyrinth and it's King behind her...or so she thinks. When strange things start happening to Sarah, she finds she might have to partner with a man that leaves her rattled and questioning her loyalty to herself and her beliefs.A Crossover Fic series inspired by the idea that The Upside Down meets The Underground. Enjoy!





	1. Mirror Mirror on the Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first-ever "long" Labyfic and...I do a mashup with Stranger Things. I'm honestly shocked this hasn't been done (that I've seen). I kept thinking: Alternate dimensions! The 1980s! Angsty teens that stumble upon something otherwordly! HOW ABOUT: The Upside Down meets the Underground! WHY IS THIS NOT A THING?! 
> 
> Well, now it is. At least my attempt on it. Enjoy.

 

“Miss Williams?”

Hearing her name being spoken from behind snapped Sarah out of her daydreams and her fingers unconsciously jerked, popping the trigger on the price tag gun she held in her hand. The noise was a loud intrusion against the low hum of the fluorescent lights that had been soothing her ears for the last five minutes, making her jump like she’d heard a gunshot. Sticking the exposed price marker to the bottom of one of the tuna cans she’d been labeling for the past hour, she rose and stood, facing the sound of the voice.

“Yes, Mr. Melvald?”

The older man came into view between two neatly stacked shelves, swinging the door to the supply room closed behind him as he walked. He’d been kind to her since hiring her last summer, giving her the much-needed work that took her away from the awkwardly directed questions she’d face from her father and step-mother about her lack of a social life since they’d relocated two years prior. After her experiences at fifteen, Sarah did her best to be a supportive daughter and sister and she made good grades in school, so what did it matter? She’d noticed, since returning from that place, that she had begun to leave behind her teenaged angst in favor of young adult level-headedness, unable to relate to most teens at her school who only concerned themselves with dances, makeup or dating. The town was just small enough that being introduced your senior year in high school practically guaranteed her a pariah status, not that Sarah complained. She’d long become accustomed to feeling like the black sheep of the family since her parents’ divorce, even moreso after her adventures in a place she still wasn’t quite sure was real. Or if he was real. It had changed her on some fundamental level and often times she felt out of pace with others her age because of it. She still hadn’t decided how she felt about that.

“Did you need something, Mr. Melvald?”

“Hm? Oh, yes.” He was rummaging through receipts and carried a small stuffed zippered bag, burgeoning with the afternoon’s shop sales, as he walked past her. Running a hand through his hair as he headed towards the office in the back, he smiled briefly. “It’s about time for Joyce to end her shift. Can you cover the front? Jeffrey is at lunch and you know how worked up she gets if she’s late to pick up her boy.”

Her boy being Will Byers. Zombie boy, they called him at school. She didn’t know the full story, but she felt an instant connection with the kid’s plight. She’d been through something similar, if the whispered rumors were to be believed, even if hers hadn’t made the town headlines. Joyce didn’t usually offer information but she saw that flash of worry in her eyes when she thought of him. It’s a look I carried for Toby for thirteen straight hours once, she thought to herself.  
“Sure, of course.” She sat the price gun aside and grabbed a store apron, tying it over the David Bowie t-shirt she’d shrugged into that morning. She generally wore more neutral clothes when working the front, but Thursdays were traditionally truck days and she refused to unload pallets without being comfortable.

Popping through the supply door to head to the register at the front of the store, she let out a sharp yelp of surprise when two hands grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. Raising up her hands in defense, Sarah stiffened as she raised her angry gaze. Blinking at the brown eyes and slow grin that looked back at her, she immediately sighed and dropped her hands, giving Steve Harrington a rueful smile and a soft punch in the shoulder.

“Steve! You scared me! That’s not funny!” She shoved him away and dislodged his grip on her shoulders. Quick on her feet, she also managed to dodge his attempted rebuttal shove.

He snickered and pushed a hand through his hair, shrugging one shoulder and acting wounded where she’d popped him on the arm. “Your mom said you were at work and I wanted to swing by and say hi. So, hi.”

Sarah bit her lower lip and smiled, blushing slightly. “Hi. What’re you doing here? You knew I was going to be taking more hours with Mr. Melvald letting Jeffrey go back to college. Is this about the group project due next Monday? I’ll take a look at it this weekend, I told you.”

“Yeah, well, I was bored and class got out early. Pfft, screw the group project. Can you take a break and go grab a snack across the street?” His smile was boyishly cute and his eyes sparkled with a silent challenge.

Sarah winced. “I can’t, I have to cover the register. Joyce needs to go pick up Will from school and Jeffrey’s still on lunch. Rain check?” Turning quickly and darting down the cleaning isle to trot towards the front, Sarah didn’t give him a chance to respond.

She felt bad, awful even, as she waved at Joyce who smiled and waved back, darting out from behind the register as soon as she appeared. Sarah listened to Joyce rattle off some of the front-end job duties she needed to complete before Jeffrey returned, watching Steve slide quietly past Joyce and give her a wink before pulling his shades out of his pocket and exiting the store without even a proper goodbye. He was cute, in a boyish Tom-Cruise-from-Risky-Business kind of way and had been teasing her ever since they’d been paired up in English class for a group project on European playwrights. She wanted to like him, since he clearly seemed to like her, but always found herself thinking about a taller, leaner, blonder figure in the back of her mind. She’d heard he’d recently split from Nancy Wheeler and he was clearly on the prowl.

“Thanks again Sarah for covering for me, I can’t leave Will waiting. He has a doctor appointment, otherwise I’d have waited until Jeffrey returned.”

Sarah waived a hand, breaking out of her morose thoughts and smiled. “Don’t sweat it. Go ahead, I’ve got this covered. See you tomorrow.”

Joyce thanked her and grabbed her purse, hurrying out the front door as a customer walked up with a basket full of items to be checked out. Sarah gave the customer a gentle smile and let the beep of the register keep her thoughts from traveling to imaginary blonde men and boyish advances.

* * *

 

_**Later That Evening…** _

“Karen? Dad? Tobes?”

Sarah called out as she walked through the kitchen door, punching the button to lower the garage door as she entered the house. Nothing met her calls but silence. Walking into the dark room, she flipped on the overhead light to see a note and a twenty taped to the refrigerator.

Your father late at work function, took Toby to my mothers. Order whatever you like.

Sarah swiped the twenty and walked towards the phone hanging from the wall to dial her favorite pizza place when she heard a strange chirping noise coming from the other room. Frowning, she strained to hear but heard nothing but the dial tone from the phone. Shrugging, she reached to dial the number she’d long since memorized but was interrupted when a small shattering noise broke through the silence of the house.

  
Swallowing down the burning spike of fear that lodged in her throat, Sarah placed the phone gently back on the receiver and grabbed the broom by the wall. Lifting it up as a weapon, she slowly creeped into the other room, willing her eyes to adjust to the dark to see what had caused the noise.

One of the small decorative mirrors lining the dining room was broken, the shards of the mirror lining the tile floor. Frowning, she leaned down to assess the damage, avoiding the shards with her shoes. Finding no clue what caused the mirror to break, Sarah slowly stood and looked around.

“Hello?” She called out in a sharp tone, hoping it’d deter whomever or whatever caused the broken mirror, turning in a slow circle to watch for any kind of movement. Only the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway greeted her. Frowning, she glanced back at the golden mirror frame hanging on the wall with the mirror missing from its center, only bits of shards clinging to the wooden frame. Scanning down the wall, taking in the other mirrors hanging alongside it in parallel order, she noticed nothing else out of place. Karen was going to be furious, as these were some of her favorite items she’d purchased for their move here when they’d learned they’d have a formal dining area in the new house. Sighing and lowering the broom to start sweeping, she let her thoughts drift as she worked to clean up the mess.

I wonder what made it break? She mused. Nothing was there, no one was near the mirror…unless…Sarah froze as her mind whispered about the last visit she’d had with her friends before her move to Indiana. Rising, she looked into one of the other mirrors in the room.

“Hoggle?” She whispered, almost not expecting herself to call his name out loud. She’d tried before, right after the move, and nothing had happened. After that last fruitless attempt at reaching her friends, it had just been easier since to convince herself that it had never happened rather than think they abandoned her or were being punished by him.  
“Hoggle? It’s Sarah. Are you there?” Sarah spoke out a little louder, no longer murmuring in soft whispers. She blinked and began to smile as the mirror shimmered and she saw the labyrinth gates and the yellow hillside instead of her reflection. Letting out a surprised gasp, eating up the image with hungry eyes, she scanned the image from all angles, expecting to see her friend. “Hoggle? It’s me! I missed you!” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice this time and her voice grew louder as she stepped up against the mirror and placed her hands on either side of the frame, pulling her face up close to the glass so she could instantly snag his profile when he came into view.  
Except he never did.

The image seemed to briefly shudder and blink, causing Sarah to stare in confusion and frown. “Hoggle, what’s going on? Hoggle?” Deep in her gut, her instincts jerked back reflexively, even though Sarah didn’t move. Something was wrong. Her palms began to sweat slightly and she licked her lips. What the hell is going on?  
Suddenly, the labyrinth was gone, like a light switch being flipped off. Sarah blinked, almost thinking for a moment her eyes played tricks on her, the sudden change taking several seconds to register with her senses. The image that reflected back at her was dark, decaying, and frightening. Sarah jerked back and gasped, eyes wide as she stumbled to put distance between her and the mirror. The mirror vibrated on the wall and something hissed from beyond the mirror.

Was that a fucking hiss? Sarah’s mind stuttered with this new information and her body screamed at her to run but fear kept her rooted. Just then, a flash of something shot forward and caused the mirror to fall from the wall mounting, land on the tile with a loud crash, mirror shards flying.

Sarah didn’t even think, she grabbed her keys and took off out the front door in a dead run, fear having long given wind to her limbs as her flight response kicked in. As she tore across the yard, her mind screamed at her: _Why did that thing not have a face?_


	2. Odd Dawn

The alarm’s siren song woke Sarah with a start, her instincts swinging her into a sitting position as she fought off the webs of sleep in her mind. Blinking slowly and looking around at the cheerful wallpaper in a room that clearly wasn’t hers, she briefly frowned before looking to her right and seeing the sleeping form of Nancy Wheeler in the bed beside her. Nancy stretched and yawned, slowly sitting and pushing stray strands of hair out of her eyes.

“Hey, Sar. Sleep well?”

Sarah shrugged and looked around. Every mirror in the room was covered with a towel and almost immediately she flushed with embarrassment. Last night had been a whirlwind. She’d been running blindly down the street in abject fear before crashing into the side of Nancy’s car at an intersection as the other girl had been stopped. Her little brother and his friend Dustin had stared at her from the back seat, slack jawed. If it hadn’t been for Nancy jumping out of the car to calm her down, who knows how long Sarah would have ran last night. Eventually, Nancy managed to talk her into the car and drove them all to her house, even phoning Sarah’s step-mother to tell her she’d be staying over to work on a school project. Thinking back on her actions, she felt absolutely mortified. How was she going to explain what happened last night? So far, Nancy had been pretty accommodating, even not questioning her odd request to cover the mirrors.

Biting her lip and refusing to look at her friend, she rose from the bed in her borrowed nightclothes and went to grab her clothes and get dressed in last night’s outfit. “Er, yeah. Thanks for letting me spend the night. I probably better head back to grab a change of clothes before school.”

“You could borrow some of mine if you want. Look, Sarah, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Something had you terrified last night. What was it? I won’t laugh, you can talk to me. In fact, in the last few months I’ve seen…” Nancy started to try and calm Sarah down when a knock came from the door. The two girls turned their heads towards the noise when Nancy’s mom popped her head in the door and smiled.

“Good morning, girls. Breakfast is almost ready. By the way, Sarah, your mother called. She wants you to call her before school.”

Sarah nodded. “Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler.” Nancy’s mother smiled and nodded and closed the door behind her as she left the two girls to get dressed.

 _Step-mother,_ she said in her head. Since moving to Hawkins, most assumed she was her mother and it seemed to please Karen when Sarah didn’t correct them, so she let it slide. She couldn’t even remember the last time she got an actual phone call or birthday card from her real mother, so she supposed Karen was the best she was going to get for a mother and she really did seem to care, so she was grateful for her in some ways but always felt a sense of awkwardness around her step-mother.

“You want to talk about it?” Nancy’s question interrupted her thoughts. She looked back at Nancy and then at the mirrors and shook her head, pulling the towels down.

“Not really. It was just my overactive imagination. I’ve always had one.”

Nancy looked like she wanted to say more, staring at her oddly, then finally smiled and nodded, letting it go. “Well, let’s see what we can find for school.”

Sarah chuckled, rolling her eyes. “You’re loving this part, I can already tell.”

Nancy grinned unabashedly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, you have no idea. I’ve been dying to see what you’d look like in something other than tomboy clothes since you moved to town. Now is my chance and you’re not getting out of it.”

Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes.

* * *

 

**_Two Hours Later, at Hawkins High…_ **

“Damn, Williams, is that you?”

Sarah stiffened and looked over her shoulder from her school locker, glowering at Steve’s lavish grin as he looked over the borrowed purple dress from Nancy with black kitten heels she’d been forced to wear, at the threat of Nancy ruining her t-shirt. She slammed her locker door shut and had turned to leave when he caught up to her quickly, keeping pace at her side, clearly getting too much entertainment out of her discomfort.

“Not one more word, Harrington, or you’ll be singing soprano for a week…” She ground out between clenched teeth, making him laugh.

“Oh come on now, you look great! I recognize that dress, though. Nancy’s doing?” She cast him a quick glance as he kept his smile in place. She relaxed a little, knowing brief details about their rough break up, and it didn’t seem to bother him she was wearing his ex’s clothes.

She nodded. “Yes, I spent the night at Nancy’s last night and forgot to bring a change of clothes. I thought I’d packed one, but I hadn’t. So she used the opportunity to exploit my weakness and forced me to wear _this_.”

“Yeah, she’s good at that.” His soft reply was momentarily sad. She frowned, wanting to comfort him, then remembered what Nancy’s mother had told her that morning. She stood up straight and groaned, rubbing her temple. “Oh shit!”

Steve looked perplexed. “What’d I say?”

Sarah glanced at him and gave him a small smile, blushing faintly. “No, not you, I forgot to call my mother. I need to swing by the school office. She’s going to kill me.”

He nodded, seemingly struggling to say something before running a hand through his hair and giving her a brief wave, his cocky expression back in place. “Well, I’ll catch you later, Williams. Think about that snack, though, yeah?”

She chuckled briefly and nodded as they parted company. Biting her lip, she made her way to the school office. _Why can’t I like him? He’s cute, kind, patient. He clearly likes me. Why can’t I get_ him _out of my head?_

Grumbling to herself, she swung open one of the double doors to the school office, juggling her books in one hand as she grasped the handle with the other. Not looking where she was going, too lost in her own thoughts, she crashed into a warm body as she started forward, sending her books flying and her left foot slipping, causing her to spill onto her knees in a painful fall.

“Damn! I’m sorry! I wasn’t paying attention where I was going….”

“I’m aware, precious.”

For a split second, the world seemed to stop. _That voice,_ she shuddered, closing her eyes. _No, not after all these years, it can’t be._ She bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted the coppery tang of blood. Slowly opening her eyes, she stared back at the familiar face from her dreams, refusing the hand he held out in offering to her as he kneeled, attempting to offer assistance. She scooted back slightly and reached to grab her books, never taking her gaze off his face, noting the ordinary clothes and short styled blonde hair swept up off his forehead. Her brow wrinkled in concern. Was this some kind of trick?

“You! What’re you doing here?” She blurted out as he gave her the oddest look, tilting his head to the side as he looked her over. His eyes seemed to stray to her calves a little longer than appropriate before returning to her face.

“Pardon?” His clipped British accent made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

“Miss Williams, are you alright?” Janice Powers, the school secretary came forward after seeing Sarah stumble and fall. “Mr. Harrington? Did you take a spill as well?”

His eyes never left Sarah’s as her brow knitted further. _Mr. Harrington?_

“Yes, I’m the new English teacher.” He said to her, as if she’d spoken aloud. He rose as Sarah did, refusing his offered hand of help, books once again bundled against her chest. He gave her a slow smile and bowed his head gently, looking back at Ms. Powers. “We just had a small tumble, not looking where we were going is all. Are you sure you’re alright….Miss…Williams, was it?”

Forcing herself to not start hyperventilating, Sarah nodded quickly, forcing her gaze away from his eyes. She briefly stared at his mouth, which quickly drew into a slow smirk, making her almost jump and then take a hasty step forward.

“Can I borrow your phone, Ms. Powers? I need to call my mother.” Ms. Powers frowned, nodding and motioning to the guest office across the room.

“I’ll see you in class, Miss Williams...” Mr. Harrington called out from behind her. She ignored his voice as she stumbled into the office and closed the door.

Shuddering and dropping her books on the empty desk, she sat down and winced, pulling back the edge of her dress to take a look at her knees. Slightly purple and red, she already knew she was going to have two painful bruises but shrugged them off as inconsequential.

 _Who the FUCK was Mr. Harrington?_ Her thoughts snarled as she let her eyes drift back to the door and the small window cut into its center. Outside, she could still see the secretary talking to him. _Him, with a capital H,_ her mind screamed. Her insides clenched as she studied him, reminding her that whether she wanted to admit it out loud, she found him attractive. But _Him_? Or this new teacher?

As if on cue, he glanced back at her face through the closed office door, his eyes meeting hers in the small window. Sarah yelped and almost fell back, forcing her head out of the window.

Turning back, she forced herself to pick up the phone and dial home. As she waited through the rings for Karen to pick up, she sucked in a sharp breath. _His eyes, they looked just like HIS eyes. Oh, god…_

“Hello?”

Sarah forced a pleasant tone into her voice. _Get a fucking grip Sarah,_ she told herself. _Its not him._

“Hey, Karen. Sorry I’m calling so late, I forgot to call when I was at Nancy’s.”

“Sarah Ann Williams! What on earth happened in the dining room?!”

She winced, forgetting all about bringing up the broken mirrors. “Oh, that.”

“Yes, that! What on earth?! You know this will come out of your checks, since I have to get the mirrors replaced! Luckily the frames weren’t damaged. What happened and why didn’t you clean it up!? Toby could have hurt himself. Really, Sarah, I am disappointed in you.”

Karen’s scolding tone brought her back to earth, no longer mulling over lookalikes.

“I thought something was in the house. I swear I didn’t do it, they were already like that. I know I should’ve cleaned it up but I got spooked. I’m sorry, Karen. I’ll help pay for them.”

Karen hesitated on the other end of the phone. “No, it’s alright. Why didn’t you call Sheriff Hopper? He’d have come out.”

“I wasn’t sure if I was just overreacting. We’ve had a lot of raccoons lately and that’s most likely what it was. Since you stayed at your mother’s, I just went to stay with Nancy and work on school homework…”

The school bell interrupted their conversation.

“Look, Karen, I need to go. I’ll be home tonight, ok?”

“Alright. We’ll discuss this later. Have a good day at school.”

“Thanks Karen. Bye.”

Hanging up the phone and grabbing her books, she waved at Ms. Powers as she jogged out of office, hurrying towards her first period classroom before the bell rung again, signaling her tardiness and the start of class.

Barely making it in time, gulping a little to catch her breath and swing in her seat at the front of the class, Sarah froze as she heard a familiar voice once more.

“So glad of you to join us, Miss Williams.”

Her head snapped up to meet Mr. Harrington’s smile and the flash of his uneven gaze. The two stared long enough at each other that the other students started to murmur to each other. Eventually, the spell broke and he turned around, writing down some information on the chalk board.

“Now, if you’ll turn to chapter ten and start at the top of page 358…”

Sarah sighed and slumped. This was going to be a long day.

 

 


	3. Dazed and Confused

Lightly chewing on her lower lip, Sarah did her best to slouch and shrink down to a forgettable size in the front of the class, willing herself invisible to the rest of the group. She could feel the other girls’ eyes on her like a brand, marking her as competition for the newest, hottest male teacher in town. Rolling her eyes faintly and biting back a laugh at the absurdity of it all, Sarah opened her notebook and English text to the desired page and began to take notes. After about twenty minutes, her nerves settled enough to where she could look at Mr. Harrington without butterflies doing summersaults in her stomach. He still looked almost identical to _He-who-would-not-be-named_ , but she was an adult and would staunchly ignore her childish urge to run out the door. He was _not_ him, the very idea was ridiculous.

Wasn’t it?

After their initial stare down, Mr. Harrington seemed to take in the rest of the group and all but ignore her, which was fine by her. His accent drew sighs and giggles from the girls and the attention of the boys, who realized they’d need to interact and engage in the class if they wanted to keep the attention of the girls on them with the Brit standing at the front of the class.

Feeling a small poke in the center of her back, Sarah briefly flicked a glance over her shoulder. Steve looked at her, a bewildered expression on his face and passed her a note while Mr. Harrington was turned towards the chalkboard and writing terms down for them to remember. She grabbed the note and turned, unfolding the paper under her text. Glancing down, she read it quickly.

_You know this dude?_

Sarah forced herself to not laugh. She couldn’t explain to him about fae kings, goblin kingdoms, fifteen-year-old fantasies and wasted ill wishes. _Oh, you know, he just resembles this psycho guy I used to know who I secretly had the hots for. I mean, he was a baby kidnapping immortal with cosmic powers who lusted after fifteen-year-old girls but deep down I wish he’d just drug me off into a dark corner and done horrible things to me – of the carnal variety. That’s kind of fucked up but no big, right?_ Biting her lip to hide a smile at the thought of Steve’s expression, she wrote down a sensible rely and snuck it back on Steve’s desk.

_Nope, just met him in the hallway. By the way, Harrington? Is this guy your cousin or something?_

Sarah stiffened as she heard her name called out while she was catching up on writing down the terms.

“Miss Williams? Care to explain what the importance of euphemism is in writing techniques?”

Clearing her throat, she inched herself slightly higher in her seat as the eyes of the classroom trained on her once more. Mr. Harrington’s lips twitched as he stared, knowing he’d caught her passing notes to Steve sitting behind her. _At least I kept out the crazy baby snatching parts,_ she thought sarcastically.

“Euphemisms are a way of explaining things in a way readers can understand and empathize with. It allows the author to connect to their audience, painting their words in such a way to seduce the target into making them accept the harsh or otherwise offensive material the reader might be reading as actually occurring.”

Sarah’s answer was met with dead silence as Mr. Harrington stared at her, his eyes gleaming with her response.   


“Quite right, Sarah. Quite right. Now, for next week’s class, I’d like to see a preliminary draft of your group project…”

Harsh groans and subtle swearing met his announcement. Sarah sighed softly, closing her eyes, knowing she’d have a long weekend ahead of her. She hadn’t had a chance yet with her work shifts to look through what Steve had passed her in class last week and given his grades, the brunt of the work would be on her. _Fucking great,_ her inner voice muttered. As the rest of the class continued to bemoan their similar circumstances, Sarah felt Steve press another folded note into the right pocket of her jacket. The teacher’s stern expression drowned out the rest of the lingering protests into silence.

“No exceptions. Class dismissed.”

The bell signaling the end of class gave finality to his words. Students jumped up and shot towards the door, eager to be free from first period. Sarah looked back at Steve’s chair, already vacant, having darted out the door after a friend. _And this is why I can’t date high school boys,_ she groused internally. _I almost guarantee I will be single-handedly writing this fucking paper._ A few girls gave her a muted glare, still smiting over how the new English teacher seemed to favor her. Already rankled that she’d be left writing a paper on her own, she didn’t have the tolerance to deal with high school jealousy. _Bitches, really? You think I am honestly going to get into a spat with you over the new teacher?_ Glaring right back, Sarah let an unspoken challenge flicker between them before the girls whispered to each other and giggled, flouncing out of the classroom in a plume of cheap perfume.

Gritting her teeth against her immediate flare of annoyance at Steve and the idiotic clan of girls, Sarah pulled herself to her feet and wrapped her jacket around her, shivering faintly under the slow blow of the air conditioning. Deciding to wait to read Steve’s note, she crushed the folded note in her palm as it skittered over her jacket pocket and closed her books, walking towards the door to head to math class. Only six months to go and Sarah would be off to college and away from all this useless drama.

“Miss Williams, a moment.”

Hearing her name from the teacher’s desk as she neared the door, Sarah forced herself to still as the hairs on the base of her neck stood up and made her shiver. Swallowing thickly, and ignoring her body’s way of pointing out her interest in the new teacher, she turned towards the voice. With a calmness that belied her inner turmoil, Sarah forced a polite smile on her face and approached Mr. Harrington’s desk.

“Yes, Professor?”

He was writing down notes in a spiral, his cursive fancy and resembling calligraphy. Before she could register the oddity of that, his gaze met hers and drowned out all sense of reason. She blinked, willing herself not to appear flustered. Looking up at her with a blank expression, the only interest hinted by the brief flicker of his eyes over her dress, he pursed his lips and spoke.

“You are partnered with Steve Harrington.”

Sarah waited a moment, thinking it was a question. When his eyebrows rose and she realized it wasn’t, she nodded.

“Work on your paper separately. I believe you were partnered prematurely by my predecessor. I do not think Steve’s talents will match yours.”

 _Wait, what?_ Sarah blinked, not sure she heard correctly.

“You want my group project to be a solo project?”

He’d begun writing more notes while she’d stood there for a few moments, processing his words. He sat his pen down, glancing back at her with a clearly defined emotion traced across his handsome features: Annoyance.

“Yes, Miss Williams. Bring it by the English department on Monday morning before school, during my office hours. I will evaluate it at that time.”

“Ahead of everyone else? _Why?_ ”

Sarah’s confusion was quickly escalating to annoyance as other students began to filter into the classroom, forcing her to dampen her escalating protests to Mr. Harrington. As the others took their seats, they gave them both a curious look.

“ _Because I requested_ it,” Mr. Harrington’s sharp tone retorted, broaching no room for negotiation. “Now, my next class is starting. Have a good day, Miss Williams.”

Fuming, Sarah turned and stalked out the door, nearly slamming the door shut behind her as she went. _If he isn’t the Goblin King, he sure as hell knows how to act like him._

**_Later that Day, at Lunch…_ **

As Sarah sat alone under the shade of an oak tree in the school yard, eating lunch in blessed silence, she felt the poke of Steve’s folded letter in her pocket. Gulping down the remnants of her sandwich she’d bought ten minutes earlier, she unfolded it and read.

_Never heard of him before. For the paper, I won’t be able to meet until Sunday night. Will that work? Come by my place at 8pm. I live at 12 Northside Lane._

Sarah frowned, folding the note back up and putting it in her pocket. Mulling over whether or not to show, as she doubted he wanted to discuss the paper and her professor giving her every opportunity to escape showing up at Steve’s, she heard a brief shutter and snap from behind. Whirling, she caught a sheepish Jonathan Byers standing about five feet away, camera in hand.

“Sorry. You just looked so divided, I couldn’t resist.” He shrugged, pointing at the camera, his eyes lowered to the ground.

Her frown remaining in place, Sarah studied him. “Next time, permission would be nice first.” She’d tried to keep the sharpness from her voice but failed. He seemed to pick up on it, nodding and slinging his camera over his back.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just not good at talking…” When her confused expression didn’t change, he continued. “With people.”

Sarah shrugged. She understood that all too much. He seemed briefly taken aback that she didn’t call him a name or react angrily so he took a cautious step forward and then sat down beside her.

“Heard you were at Nancy’s last night. She said you were spooked and running down the street. Don’t worry, she hasn’t told anyone else but me.”

Sarah chuckled, studying Jonathan critically for a moment. This was the first time they’d really had a conversation and she wasn’t sure what to make of him just yet, except that he and Nancy had become an item, against all odds. It wasn’t widely known yet, but she’d chatted enough with Joyce to pick up on it. He seemed delicate and skittish compared to the brashness of Steve, but Sarah could understand his appeal to Nancy, who was more like Steve than she’d like to admit.

“It was nothing. Raccoons probably. Just had a few mirrors break at home and I was alone, so my imagination got away from me. Too many scary movies.” Sarah grinned faintly, spilling out with the excuse she’d settled on that morning in the shower.

Jonathan chuckled, his eyes scanning hers as he nodded. “Well, it happens to the best of us, I guess.”

She nodded, starting to rise, brushing the dirt from her skirts. As she started back towards the school, he called out over his shoulder. “But if it wasn’t, you could tell us, you know?”

Frowning, she looked back over her shoulder to ask why he’d said that, but he was already heading to class himself. Shrugging, she headed towards her locker to gather her things and head to work for the evening.

Off in the distance, a blonde figure observed quietly.


	4. What Dreams May Come

_As the pain sweeps through,_ __  
Makes no sense for you,  
Every thrill is gone…  
Wasn't too much fun at all,  
But I'll be there for you…

Between all the glitter and gold, the familiar song spun in the background, tingling her senses with the crafted words of her seducer purring in her ear. Her skin felt tight as she tried to breathe deeply, making her realize that the constriction was coming from a binding corset gripping her torso. She tried to turn left but was swept up and to the right by a twirling mass of warm bodies and her feet were forced to follow the crowd.

_What is going on? Where am I?_

Sarah felt light headed and dizzy, her tongue thick as she tried and failed to call out for help. Her eyes blinked slowly and remained half-closed against the bright lights as she let the crowd of dancers sweep her along dance floor. Her dizziness and heartbeat began to pound in unison, sending a deep tingle throughout her frame that reached the tips of her fingers and her core, flushing her skin in a soft pink glow. She shuddered and let out a soft sigh that sounded strangely like a traitorous moan as hands and fingers pulled at her sleeves and gown – _when had she been wearing a dress? And why did she feel so warm?_ – and she once again felt pushed to the right and turned, her body colliding with another warm but unmoving form.

As her mouth opened to form an apology, she saw a flash of sharp teeth and blue spiked hair. Instantly, her heartbeat spiked painfully in her chest and her palms began to sweat, adrenaline surging in her veins and mixing with her arousal, leaving Sarah wincing against the sensations.

“Wha..?” She began, only to have one of his white gloves silence her by brushing against her lips. The other snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against his form, the vicelike grip ensuring no escape.

“Hush, precious..” He murmured, moving with her. They swirled along the dance floor with the others, caught up in the moment. Briefly, the song had stopped, but it started again, this time in her ear as he pressed tighter to her, making her head spin and her skin tingle.

One gloved hand turned her chin away, exposing her neck as they danced. His singing slowed to a soft hum as his lips pressed against her skin, soft nips making her fingers flex around his shoulders – _When had her hands ended up there? –_ and his gloved hands slid lower, cupping her against him, one of his thighs sliding between hers as they glided across the ballroom. She moaned when a particular turn pulled his teeth tighter against a bundle of nerves against her neck and pressed the cradle of his hips close, branding her stomach with his desire. Her insides trembled, welcoming the hardness, her hips cradling his in response as the continued to dance.

Suddenly, she was against a floating pillar against the edge of the dance floor, her ankles and knees feeling cool air as her dress was bunched up around her waist, his fingers branding the inside of her thighs, skirting higher towards her center that by now was hot and melting to his touch. His teeth released her neck, breath hot and panting against her cheeks for a moment and then his lips punishing hers into submission, tongue seeking entry. She allowed it, her own meeting his. A low growl made her shiver just as his fingers plunged –

**_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_ **

“Holy FUCK!” Sarah shot up from her bed, chest heaving and heart pounding. Rubbing sleep from her eyes and brushing back knots of tangled dark hair out of her face, she slammed her palm down against the intruding alarm and took several moments to get a grip on herself, her core still tingling from the sensations of the dream. Looking down at herself, she realized her entire body was covered in a sheen of sweat.

Plopping back down, she let out a slow sigh. “Jesus Christ, now I’m dreaming about him.”

She shivered, still realizing she was painfully aroused, her nightgown scraping against her breasts uncomfortably. Glancing towards the alarm clock, realizing she’d have time to handle things before her morning shower, her fingers skated towards the drawstring of her pants when a tapping sound near her window made her hesitate.

Glancing over, Sarah noticed her dressing mirror vibrating. Instantly, her body’s arousal was dampened, replaced with fear. “No, no, no, no…”

The mirror rippled, and instead of her reflection, there was the darkness and decay she’d seen the previous evening. Something inhuman shrieked from behind the mirror, making Sarah to jump from the bed. Looking around the room, she grabbed her softball bat and edged closed to the mirror. “Go away,” she whispered fiercely.

“Hoggle? Hoggle? What the hell is going on? If you’re not Hoggle, go away!” She whispered in a stronger voice, edging towards the mirror. The mirror seemed to howl a little louder, causing the light in the hallway to flicker on. She briefly noticed the light, reaching behind her and locking her door. The door handle jiggled and she heard a knock, then her dad’s voice.

“Sarah? What on earth is going on? Are you watching a scary movie at this hour?” His tone sounded tired and exasperated.

Panicking, she turned back to the mirror, her mind racing with what to do.

“Go AWAY!” She all but shouted, keeping her voice just quiet enough not to carry to the other side of the door. She raised the bat and took a menacing step towards the mirror. The dresser continued to vibrate. Her father’s knocks turned louder.

“Sarah, open the door this instant.” His tone was full-force paternal now, broaching no argument.

Frantically looking back and forth, bat in hand, she sagged as the mirror finally shimmered and returned back to normal, allowing her to drop the bat and unlock the door. Her father stood on the other side from the hallway, an irritated look on his face.

“Really, Sarah, movies at 7am? You could’ve woken Karen and the baby. This is unacceptable.”

“Sorry, dad. I didn’t realize how loud I had the TV.” Sarah spoke quickly, noting her dad’s suit and a cup of coffee in his hand. “I’ll be more quiet next time.”

Robert frowned, his gaze flickering to the dead TV. Giving her a perplexed look, he turned and walked down the hallway. “There’s an extra cup in the pot if you need it. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?”

Overwhelmed, she slumped against the door. “Yep, on it. Have a good day, dad.”

He murmured something in response that she didn’t hear as she looked back at the mirror once more. Her teeth gritting, she narrowed her gaze and gathered her school clothes for the day.

 _Something is going on and I am going to get to the bottom of this. I am tired of being stalked by Goblin Kings and whatever monsters they have hiding in mirrors,_ she vowed, storming towards the shower.

 


	5. Fool Me Twice

The steady pulse of the shower water beat away the cloudiness in her head as Sarah tried to make sense of the morning’s events. Frowning faintly, she scrubbed at her scalp as she let her mind wander through the events of the past two nights in her head.

First, there was the night she got home from work and the broken mirrors. She’d seen the Labyrinth as soon as she had called for Hoggle, but he hadn’t appeared, yet the Labyrinth did. Nothing had appeared changed when she first stared into one of the other mirrors and then the mirror…shifted. What exactly was that place? It didn’t look like any part of the Labyrinth she remembered. It had been dark, decaying and somehow menacing. While the Labyrinth was no walk in the park, she’d never gotten a sense that the maze had been evil or determined to kill her, merely wanting to mislead her or trick her. That image she’d seen staring back at her practically screamed dangerous and evil. The moment it had appeared, her instincts told her this was not a place she wanted to be. So where was it, if it wasn’t from the Labyrinth? Second, the new teacher was a spitting image of _him._ He hadn’t given any indication that he knew who she was, but the coincidence of the whole thing screamed of wrongness. Should she confront him on Monday when she turned in her paper? Would he admit who he was, or was he really just a striking resemblance and nothing more? Did she really want to risk pissing off the new teacher who could tank her grades and impact her college applications? _Yes,_ a small portion of her mind answered back. _You need to know._

Sighing in frustration as her thoughts only seemed to lead to more questions, Sarah shut off the shower and quickly wrung out the excess water in her hair, curling it into a sloppy wet bun atop her head.   _I’m betting my life that somehow all this is connected,_ she thought, wrapping herself in a warm towel as she stepped out of the shower. _If I’m wrong about him, I will deal with the consequences at that time._ Besides, what the hell was that thing this morning? Had it seen her or sensed her from the other night? She hadn’t even called out for Hoggle when the mirror showed that… _thing…_ again. It looked dangerous. She shuddered and closed her eyes, gripping the towel pulled around her body tight against her breasts. If it had gotten through, like the night of the party when she’d beaten _him_ there’s no telling what it could have done. She hadn’t seen its full figure in the times it had appeared but she remembered the growl, goosebumps breaking out over her flesh. Only predators growled like that, the killing kind. As much as it frightened her, the thought of it appearing when she was at school and Karen and Toby were home along scared her even more. It was HER fault they were all in this mess to begin with. She needed to fix this and soon.

Patting her hair dry with another towel she grabbed from the cabinet, she frowned and wiped at the bathroom mirror, staring at her cloudy reflection that was slowly disappearing in the steam again. _You fucking thing,_ She glowered at the mirror. _If you come out of this mirror and hurt my family, there will be no place I won’t go to end you._ Her lack of answers made her angry and she quickly slammed her wrist down on the mirror, barely managing to avoid breaking it. Huffing, she reached for the door handle to the hallway, quickly flipped off the light and heading to her room to get ready for school, giving every mirror she passed an angry once-over. She knew she wasn’t mad at the Labyrinth or the mirrors, she was mad at herself. If she hadn’t been so foolish three years ago, they’d be living peaceful lives.

Letting out a slow breath as her nerves calmed, Sarah turned the radio on low and allowed the pulse of pop music to fill her bedroom while she got ready for school. Grabbing her favorite pair of jeans, so worn that the knees were long since shredded to thread holes that showed the tips of her kneecaps through the faded pale blue, she quickly pulled them on with a old soccer sweater of her dad’s. The thing was outlandish in a garish orange and yellow color scheme and practically came down to her knees, the neck so wide if she wasn’t careful it would expose a whole shoulder, but she didn’t care. Hugging the edges of the sweater close, she began the tedious process of drying her long hair and lamenting about why she wouldn’t save herself time by cutting it when the phone rang. The brash ring on her bedside table was so loud, it nearly made her drop her hairbrush. Frowning and snatching up the receiver before the shrill rings woke up Karen or Toby, she pulled it to her ear.

“Hello?” She cradled it between her shoulder and her cheek as she continued to comb out the knots in her hair.

“Sarah? It’s Nancy. Need a ride to school?”

Sarah frowned, stilling for a moment. She and Nancy were friends, but not call-me-at-7am close. She continued to comb out her hair and realized she hadn’t answered Nancy when her voice made a subtle cough, waiting for her answer.

“Er, sure. Yeah, sounds great. I’m almost done getting ready. You need my address?” Sarah looked at herself in the mirror, applying some lip gloss and mascara. She never wore earrings if she could help it. Her hair was still wet, but it’d dry soon enough. She simply combed out the knots and grabbed her backpack, cradling the phone to her ear as she listened to Nancy’s chirpy reply of ‘No, I’ve got it, see you in ten.’ Sarah said her goodbyes and hung up just as a soft knock was heard at her door. She looked over her shoulder with an apologetic look on her face, seeing Karen’s sleepy face greeting her at the door.

“Hey, I’m sorry if that woke you. It was Nancy from school. I didn’t think she’d call me so early.”

Karen smiled and waved her hand, handing Sarah a glass of orange juice. Sarah thanked her and took it, drinking it down quickly. “It’s alright. I’m glad you’re making friends. Do you want some breakfast?”

Sarah shook her head and handed her back the empty glass. “No, it’s alright. Nancy is going to be here in about ten minutes. I better hurry up and wait for her downstairs.”

Karen nodded and wished her a good day at school, stepping out of Sarah’s room and quietly closing the door behind her. Sarah rummaged through her things, finding the notes Steve had passed to her last week and shoved them into her backpack, along with another spare notepad and some cassettes and her Walkman. She would probably be spending some time at the library in an effort to finish her paper early so she could impose on Mr. Lookalike later that afternoon, if possible. _Might as well get this over with,_ she thought.

A distant car horn told her Nancy was there. Slipping on some tennis shoes, she took off out the front door after wishing her step mother a happy day and hurried towards Nancy’s car. She blinked, stilling as she grabbed at the door handle, seeing Nancy, Jon and Steve all piled in the car together.

“Er, what’s going on?” She said as she slid into the back of the car, next to Steve. They all looked at each other, no shared smiles between them.

“Sarah, we need to talk.”


	6. Here There Be Monsters

Sarah froze, staring at all three pairs of eyes deadpanned on her with a serious expression in their features. She swallowed and let a small nervous chuckle escape her mouth, hoping to ease the sudden tension in the car. She shrugged a shoulder, her sweater briefly slipping loose and exposing her camisole bra and a creamy shoulder before she tugged it back into place, grinning between the three of them. “Well, this is interesting…”

Still, her nerves clenched and her pulse pounded. What was going on? She noticed they didn’t return the teasing banter and she instantly sobered, glancing nervously between the three as she settled her backpack between her knees in the floorboard of the back seat. “Er, what do you mean? And what’re all of you doing here? I didn’t realize you were all friends after…you know…” She vaguely gestured between Steve, Nancy and Jonathan.

Steve was the first to make a small snort of dismissal, his hands clenching in his lap but otherwise remaining silent. Nancy and Jonathan flicked a gaze towards one another, their expressions filled with both guilt and discomfort. Still, no one said anything and Sarah was uneasy with the uncomfortable silence, the only noise to fill the void being the running car engine. She kept one hand on the handle of the car door as she peered between the three, the car idling in front of her house, no one saying or doing anything. Biting her lip, she debated with herself on if she should exit the car and ask Karen for a ride to school. She didn’t need this weirdness in her life, not after the past few days. Her eyes shifted back to the house, her mind leaning towards leaving the car when she saw Karen step towards the window, peering out into the yard. She could tell her step-mother was wondering why they hadn’t pulled away and she cleared her throat, releasing her grip on the door handle.

“My mom’s watching us. We going to school or what?” She said with a bored tone, letting the group know she’d play along to whatever kind of mock intervention this was, her curiosity getting the better of her. Nancy and Jonathan especially had been acting weird ever since Nancy found her in the street and if Steve was willing to tag along in this group therapy session, it must be pretty serious.

That seemed to break the tension and they collectively let out a sigh. Sarah glanced between them with an amused expression, still more curious than nervous now that she’d decided to play along, her eyebrows lifting in an invitation for them to explain why all three seemed to think they needed to escort her to school. Steve ruffled a hand through his hair, his other resting on her knee that pressed against his, giving her a small smirk, back to his normal self. Knowing he was back in his flirty mindset, she gently plucked his hand off her knee and set it back in his lap, giving him a pointed smile in return. He chuckled and pulled his shades on, resting the back of his head against the car seat. Nancy and Jonathan exchanged a thoughtful gaze as Jonathan turned and shifted the car into gear, pushing it off the curb into a slow drive down the street, the engine sputtering as the old car eased onto the road. Nancy bit her bottom lip and glanced out the window, facing away from Sarah.

“Soooo…care to explain why I have three folks in this car with me?” Silence met her teasing question. Sarah shifted in her seat, running her fingers through her damp hair and curling it into a thick mass that hung on the left side of her face. She looked between all of them again, patiently waiting for a response.

When they didn’t answer after several minutes, Sarah let out an exasperated sigh and stared at each in turn, tossing her hands up. “Out with it! What is it? What’s with the Spanish Inquisition team up and then complete silence? Something’s bothering you. Tell me.”

Nancy looked between the two boys then turned slightly in her seat as Jonathan continued to drive and Steve nodded then stared out the window.

“Do you know who Barbara Holland wa—is?”

Sarah blinked, catching Nancy’s quick correction, referring to the missing girl she’d seen posters of at school and at Melvald’s General Store. She frowned, nodding slowly, her gaze flickering between the others.

“Yeah, that’s the girl that went missing last year, right?”

Nancy nodded, her face briefly reflecting a combination of exhaustion and sadness that took Sarah aback. She swallowed, sensing a story while Nancy remained quiet, waiting for her to continue.

“Yeah, that’s her. She…she is…was…my best friend. She went missing last year, right when Steve had hosted a party at his place with some friends and I’d asked her to come along. She didn’t want to, but I made her. I didn’t want to go alone.” Nancy’s voice waivered and Jonathan’s right hand reached out, gently grasping her hand. Nancy smiled sadly at him and Steve seemed to shift uncomfortably next to her, making Sarah glance between them all. She nodded, prompting them to continue.

“Go on.”

Nancy forced a smile back at Sarah, letting out a nervous laugh. “You have to understand, we haven’t told _anyone_ about this other than a few select people that were involved. It was too dangerous to. It sounds nuts, even when we tried to explain it to each other, so I’m a little worried how this’ll sound.”

Sarah sat up fully, her heart freezing in her chest before beginning to beat so loudly it felt like it might drown out her ability to hear. She licked her lips, her gaze sharpening on Nancy. _No way,_ she thought. _Do they know about the Labyrinth and the darkness too? This is way too weird to be a coincidence._ She stilled, thinking furiously. _Play it cool, Sar. Hear them out, then you can explain your side._ She motioned for Nancy to continue, keeping her expression neutral, letting them all know she took what they were about to tell her seriously so they wouldn’t clam up and shut down the only reasonable explanation she had for the past few days.

Nancy seemed to relax, the tension in her shoulders leaving and allowing them to drop slightly. She seemed to find her wording and her voice strengthened as she continued. “We both went to Steve’s party and we were being typical stupid teenagers, showing how cool we were drinking out of the side of a beer can after popping it open with a knife. I asked Barb to give it a try and her hand slipped and she cut herself. She went to clean her hand up and we lost track of her after we all ended up in the pool.” She waved a hand, blushing slightly as she looked at Steve and Jonathan. “That’s not important. The important part was that was the last time I saw her.”

Sarah sucked in a breath, her eyes widening, realization hitting her like a slap in the face. “The monster without a face,” she whispered.

Nancy nodded, turning her gaze sharply to Sarah, her mouth twisting into a troubled frown. “Exactly. You’ve seen it, you can’t deny it. I heard your screams when I found you on the street. Hell, everyone in this car has seen it. We thought we’d killed it, but I guess not, or another one got out and is here.”

Nancy must have sensed Sarah’s conflicting emotions as she reached over the seat, grabbing one of Sarah’s hands. “That…thing…got her. It took her to some dark place and…” Nancy struggled with the last bit of words, her voice shaking. “It killed her. I never got to see her again, or save her, or even return her body to her parents or explained what happened to anyone not in this car. I didn’t even know what the hell it was or where to find it. The dark place isn’t easy to get to, it’s not…from here.”  Nancy’s lips briefly trembled as she closed her eyes, her head bowing.  “It’s one of the biggest regrets of my life, leaving Barb outside near the pool when that…thing…got her.” She spat the last few words, swiping angry tears from her eyes, Jonathan continuing to sooth her by gently rubbing her shoulder. Steve uncomfortably cleared his throat.

Sarah’s pulse was in full panic mode, pounding loudly in her ears as she numbly continued to listen. “And now you think it’s after me?”

Nancy nodded. Steve reached for her again and Sarah allowed it this time, his arm wrapping tightly around her shoulders. She glanced at him and saw the concern in his gaze through the sunglasses shielding most of his eyes. She shifted her eyes to the rearview mirror and noticed the same emotion in Jonathan’s as his met hers in the mirror.

Sarah felt physically ill, shuddering violently as her insides clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a sense of hopelessness and betrayal wash over her. _Well, fuck._ She thought morosely. _He’s finally sending something to finish the job. Does he really hate me that much? He didn’t seem evil when I first encountered him, just an ancient being who enjoyed trickery and games. Did losing the game drive him to such lengths?_ She was startled to realize how much that idea upset her, hoping whatever they shared hadn’t resulted in that emotion from him. Not when she couldn’t seem to forget him or think back on their show down with a combination of melancholy and loss. However, the longer she thought about it, the more that seemed wrong. She didn’t think that this was some sort of revenge from him, replaying over the final confrontation they shared between them in her mind as she fought to get back Toby. He had looked properly devastated when she’d turned him down, not angry. Another thought occurred to her, one that pained her more than the others, sending a stabbing sharpness through her heart _. Had the Labyrinth been invaded by these monsters? It didn’t look healthy in the mirror. Where’s Hoggle? Is he dead? Are they ALL dead? Dear god, don’t let them be dead…_

“Jesus Fucking Christ,” Sarah gasped out, her startled laughter echoing off the interior of the car as tears pricked at the edges of her vision, refusing to think of the Labyrinth inhabitants dead or dying. It didn’t fool anyone, the choked noise belying her nervousness beneath the cheerful exhale.  “I…I thought I was making it up. It’s not like anything I’ve seen before in the mirrors, you know. What is the dark place? Is it part of the Labyrinth?”

Nancy frowned, her hand still clasping Sarah’s as she leaned over. Steve briefly stilled and Jonathan flickered a confused look back at her through the rearview mirror.

“What Labyrinth?” They all replied in unison.

 _Oh boy,_ she thought, looking between all three of them as they stared intently at her. _I’ve really stepped in it now._ She shrugged a shoulder, evading the question. “You know, the dark place. I can see it in mirrors. That’s where the thing is when I see it. It tries to get through. So far, it hasn’t succeeded.” They seemed to accept that answer, looking between each other and communicating silently between the three of them, easing the tension out of Sarah. She didn’t want to play all her cards just yet.

“We call it the Upside Down. The way it’s been explained to us, it’s a dark dimension where these things live. Something happened last year that opened a sort of portal to this place and it made the fabric between our realities easy to break down. Those monsters can get through and hunt us. You said you saw it in a mirror? How many times? What happened when you saw it? Did the lights flicker?”

Jonathan’s voice broke through the silence, making Sarah jerk her gaze up into the rearview mirror, out of her thoughts. She blinked slowly. _That’s new,_ she thought. _So it wasn’t the Underground? But how had I seen the Underground that one time? Had this ‘Upside Down’ infected their world too?_

Sarah frowned, licking her lips as her brow furrowed, trying to make sense of what they were telling her. _I really wish….NO!_ Sarah flinched, forcing herself not to finish that thought. She needed to solve this on her own. As she mulled over their words, Jonathan eased on the breaks and she heard the flick of a blinker, making her realize they were already in the school parking lot.

“So, wait, let me get this straight – you said a portal was opened to this place? The Upside Down? How?” Sarah frowned, eyes narrowing as her mind whirled with questions and scenarios. Just how many damn alternate worlds or dimensions were there?

As Nancy opened her mouth to explain while Jonathan pulled forward to nab a parking spot, they all jumped as a firebird rushed ahead of them and dove into the spot, narrowly missing them. They all sat there, hands clenched on their seats, as Billy Hargrove stepped out of his car and his little sister Maxine jumped out and ran off, skateboard in hand.

“Motherfucker…” Steve muttered under his breath, letting out a slow exhale as Nancy and Jonathan relaxed, their bodies tense after the near collision. Billy stretched his hands over his torso, canting his head curiously as he saw all four of them piled in the car. He laughed when he saw Steve and flicked his tongue out at Sarah in a crude manner when his eyes met hers. Steve stiffened but Sarah calmed him, placing a hand on his chest. His eyes flicked to hers when she shook her head. “He’s not worth it.” Steve seemed to relax and Jonathan drove by Billy, finding a parking spot further down the lot while Billy watched them drive away.

Jonathan turned off the ignition and everyone grabbed their backpacks. “Hey, wait a sec! We can’t go into class without explaining more of this to me,” Sarah objected as everyone started to pile out of the car. Steve tugged on her hand and she followed, not even correcting him when he slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling him to her side. Considering she had crazy mirror monsters out of her, the least of her worries was sending wrong signals to Steve. A small part of her felt bad about that, but another part considered the comfort of someone by her side, in the event the monster re-appeared. The comfort outweighed the awkwardness of explaining to Steve she wasn’t in the mood to date anyone.

“We’re not going to first period, honey,” Steve replied as Nancy and Jonathan went to the trunk of their car and popped the lid, pulling out a couple of large overstuffed duffle bags. Sarah frowned, looking between them all. Steve grinned at her and reached for a bag, slinging one over his shoulder and readjusting his arm around her shoulders, dropping his mouth to her ear. “We’re going monster hunting.”

Sarah jumped as Jonathan slammed the truck lid down, picking up the other bags as they all headed into school.


	7. The Summoning

Sarah stood, blinking slowly as the loud noise of the trunk slam echoed in her ears. She wasn’t sure she heard them correctly, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and frowning. Steve still had his arm securely over her shoulders and she inadvertently leaned into him to keep her balance, his fingers tightening around her in response. She bit her lip against the flare of annoyance that flashed through her with the action but mutely followed them as they began to walk, Jonathan and Nancy in the lead and her and Steve trailing behind. She noticed most of the other students were already mingling in the school yard or walking through the double doors of the front entrance, heading to class. She realized they were purposefully keeping a slow pace to miss the first period bell which would allow them to roam the halls by themselves, undeterred and unquestioned.

“Monster hunting?” She repeated dumbly as they marched towards the school, keeping her tone soft to not be overheard by any of the other students passing them in a hurry. She glanced at the clock tower and thought of her first period and _him,_ her nerves tingling at what he might think of her and Steve’s mutual absence. So where were they going?

“Yes. We’re going to end this, once and for all.” Nancy replied, interrupting her thoughts, keeping her gaze on the students that passed them, slowing their pace to put distance between them but still heading towards the school. Sarah frowned again at her response, seemingly her default expression since joining them in the car that morning.

“Do you even know what it looks like? How big is it? Is it dangerous? Can we kill it?” As questions tumbled from Sarah’s lips, her anxiety rose with each new thought, making her voice tremble. Steve squeezed her to him tightly, Jonathan and Nancy glancing back at her as they carried their bags.

“Yes, we know what it looks like. It’s tall, about the size of a full-grown man or slightly taller, and it has a face of teeth. It’s extremely dangerous, but we’ve taken one on before. We came prepared, Sarah, so don’t worry.” Jonathan answered her questions in a quiet tone, giving her a smile that was meant to comfort, raising the duffle bag he had in his hands and shaking it slightly. Sarah could hear a faint rattle of metal and wood, making her wonder what was in the bag.

As they crossed the parking lot, Sarah stilled again, staring at the school and the group, when the realization hit her at they were still heading into the entrance. Immediately, her frown of confusion turned into a mask of shock and rage.

“Wait - you’re going to summon it _here? Now? **Are you crazy?**_ ” She almost shrieked, finally shoving Steve’s grip off her shoulder. She stopped, planting her feet firmly on the ground and not moving, making a slashing mark with her hands at the three of them. “ ** _No,_** **_absolutely not_** ,” Sarah ground out in a tight voice, her words harsh and with a sense of finality. “There’s _kids_ here! What if it’s as strong as you say and you can’t kill it? **_What then?_** We just endanger a whole bunch of other students? I don’t think so!”

Steve looked at her with a combination of surprise and admiration at her outburst, letting his arm drop and his hand tuck into his pants pocket, glancing back at Jonathan and Nancy to let them respond. Nancy stepped forward, grabbing Sarah’s hands. As Sarah tried to tug free, her grip strengthened and she shook Sarah’s arms. “No, Sarah! We’re not going to summon it right in the school where the other kids are. Remember the gym renovations that shut down our prep rallies? It’s still empty. We’ll use the new locker rooms they’re building. It’s secluded and safe for the other students. We can’t do this at home. We’ve all got family there.” Nancy’s strong tone softened as her reasoning calmed Sarah somewhat. “Sarah, please. You’ve got to trust us. We need to end this now, before it does something worse.”

Sarah inhaled slowly, wrenching her wrists free from Nancy’s grip, still annoyed they’d concocted this plan without consulting her first, but she finally admitted it would be nice to end things and try and return to normal life, if she could call her life normal. Letting out a faint sigh as the others stared at her, she tossed her hands up and pulled the collar of her soccer sweater back into place from where it had fallen off her right shoulder. “Fine, fine. Let me at least put my backpack in my locker before we summon the devil, ok?”

Nancy and Jonathan shared a brief amused glance at Sarah’s sour tone but turned and began walking towards the school once more. Steve followed but didn’t reach for her again, just walking in pace with her towards the front doors as the last bell rang, indicating first period had started. It felt odd as they walked along empty halls, finally finding Sarah’s locker and pausing, the others letting her grope for her locker to put away her things.

Sarah forced herself to think about when they’d summon the monster and fortified herself against the impending battle as she spun her combination into the lock and tossed her bags in once the door opened. She briefly looked at her reflection in her locker mirror as she slammed the locker shut and spun the dial on the lock, satisfied to see a stern expression reflecting back at her. She combed her hands through her fingers and squared her shoulders. “Let’s go get this over with,” Sarah murmured, following Nancy’s lead as they walked right, down the vacant hallway towards the gym that was still closed off to the general student body.

As they passed the rooms full of students in first period, Sarah couldn’t help but glance at the one she should be in. Briefly, she saw Mr. Harrington staring at the class with an attendance sheet in his hand. She smiled sadly as he read off the roll call. Just as she was about to turn her gaze away, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stir and observed in shock as he tilted his head all of a sudden and then swiftly jerked up and pivoted towards the hallway, meeting her gaze. _What in the fuck…?_ Her eyes widened as his narrowed, meeting her gaze with a clash of his own. A possessive glint entered his eyes and he started towards her. In a flash, she was past his door but she knew he was coming after them, her instincts screaming at her to run before they got caught with the duffle bags that she surmised to be filled with weapons.

“Fuck,” she whispered. She immediately started running, motioning at the others with a frantic gesture. “Run! One of the teachers saw us! Hurry!”

They didn’t question her, just picked up their pace. They dodged through the gym doors just as they heard her name ring out in the hallway.

“Miss Williams! _SARAH!_ Come back here! **_SARAH_** _!”_

 _If I had any doubts before, I sure as fuck don’t now,_ Sarah thought with a panicked sense of dread and anxiousness, shuddering as she hurried them along to the gym’s new locker rooms, scooting them all into the wide room of the women’s lockers and locking the door behind them. _That voice is unmistakable._ She reached for a chair, barricading them in the room, not sure if he had seen where they went and followed them into the gym. She hushed them all for several minutes and when they heard nothing from the other side of the door, she slumped against the barricade and gestured at them to resume their actions of setting up for summoning the monster.

“How’d he even see us?” Steve groused, shrugging off his duffle bag as Nancy and Jonathan did the same. Leaning over them, he unzipped them all, handing Nancy a rifle, Jonathan a crow bar and himself grabbing a bat that was littered with large steel nails. Sarah watched them with detached interest, trying to catch her breath from the sprint as she watched them set up. Nancy set aside a can of gasoline, some rope and a few traps meant for large prey. She motioned for Jonathan and Steve to help her set them up on the far side of the room, near the mirrors while Sarah stood back and watched. Nervous, she shifted between listening at the door and admiring the way they worked. As they worked to set the traps, she realized they weren’t exaggerating that they knew how to handle this thing and for the first time in the past few days, began to feel a sense of relief.

“No idea,” Jonathan murmured, putting the pins into place as Steve and Nancy held a trap open, glancing back at Sarah as they finished. “He seems awfully interested in Sarah, though. You know him?”

Sarah smiled faintly and shook her head. “Um, I don’t think so, no,” she replied vaguely, as she wasn’t so sure now. She nervously looked back at the door. _Maybe..._

“I asked her the same thing the other day. Dude’s a creep. He seems off to me. He’s like twice her age and something just unnerves me about him,” Steve muttered, finishing up a second trap with Nancy and pouring some gasoline across them. He reached in his pockets for a lighter, testing it and then putting it back in his front pants pocket. He frowned as he eyed Sarah, noticing her lack of a response.

Nancy set up the finishing touches and they shoved the duffle bag in the corner, readying their weapons as they stared at the mirror and then glanced back at her. She stood and rolled her shoulders, stepping forward.

“Are we ready?” Sarah asked, clearing her throat. They all nodded, stepping up on either side of her. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, steadying her nerves.

“Alright. Here we go.” Sarah opened her eyes and stared at their reflections, taking a small step forward. “Hoggle? Are you there?” She whispered, glancing between the mirror panels and sensing no reply.

She saw the reflection of the others looking questioningly between themselves as they drew up their weapons. _Who is Hoggle?_ She saw Steve mouth at Nancy and Jonathan. They shrugged in response, staring at the mirrors and Sarah.

“Hoggle? Are you there?” Sarah said more loudly. She licked her lips and frowned, clenching her hands into fists as she opened her mouth to repeat the question a third time when the mirror began to vibrate. She sucked in a sharp breath and watched as the Labyrinth came into view, the same yellow hillside as before.

“What the fuck?” The others whispered, their grips on their weapons wavering. “What’s that?” Nancy and Jonathan quickly stepped forward, peering into the mirror by Sarah’s side. “Is that the Labyrinth?” Nancy turned, giving Sarah a dubious stare. Suddenly, Sarah felt all the eyes on her. She trembled and let out a small nervous laugh.

“Well…” She began then let out a small cry of surprise as the mirror shimmered, twisting from the view of the sunny hillside to a mocking reflecting of the locker room except it dark and decaying. The locker room reflection was filled with grotesque vines, clouded with some sort of foreign body floating through the air in thick clumps. She shuddered at the view and screamed as something rose up in the distance, turning sharply and staring straight at her.

 _The monster,_ her instincts screamed.

The others whipped around just as it rushed forward, slamming into the mirror. As it impacted against the mirror, a circular crack appeared at the point of impact. Sarah slammed her back against the opposite wall as she backed up, sensing its intent to harm her. _Oh my god, it’s going to break through…_

Its inhuman shriek filled the room as it clawed and bucked against the mirror from the other side, pounding violently on the surface as more cracks spread. Sarah noticed in horror that it’s hands ended in long claws and fresh blood coating them, smearing on the mirrored reflection. The others raised their weapons and Steve tugged at his front pocket, getting his lighter ready as it continued to pound on the mirror, when Sarah heard a pounding on the door.

Sarah felt her whole body shudder when she heard his voice yelling from the other side. “What have you done, Sarah!? What is in there?! Sarah! Open the door! **_SARAH_**!”

Just as the pounding on the door intensified, the sound of a mirror shattering drew her gaze back towards the mirrored wall. The glass shattered and the creature spilled into the room along with the floating substance from beyond. Sarah coughed against the rank odor of the tainted air billowed from the gaping hole in the center of the mirror as the creature rose up and stumbled forward, it’s face opening to reveal the horrors within, rows and rows of serrated teeth with a black hole in the center where the inhuman shrieking came from.

“ ** _SARAH!_** I can’t get in! It’s blocking me! Wish me there, Sarah! **_WISH ME THERE!”_**

She dimly heard the yells from beyond the door just as Steve took a swing at the creature. It dodged the intended blow with a reptilian ease and swiped at him with its massive arm, its clawed grip narrowly missing his torso but the impact throwing him down in the process. Nancy began to unload her gun at it, hitting it on the side but doing little damage. Jonathan stepped forward to hit at it with his crow bar but Sarah knew they weren’t going to be able to stop it. Standing quickly, Sarah grabbed Steve’s bat that had fallen out of his grasp and stepped forward, taking a swing at it while Jonathan and Nancy distracted it. Her swing landed, causing the creature to shriek and whip its head toward her, hissing. Sarah tugged but the nails of the bat were embedded too deep in its side and she wasn’t able to wrench it loose. She swallowed as scream as it dodged Nancy and Jonathan, rushing up to her and slamming her into the opposite wall. She felt it’s talons sink into her shoulder, letting out a howl of pain. Raising one of its clawed hands, Sarah knew it intended to kill her and fear flooded her senses, making her taste the metallic tang of blood as she bit her tongue.

The pounding on the door intensified, almost able to be overheard over the monster’s shrieks.

“NOW SARAH! NOW! DAMMIT SARAH PLEASE!”

As it swung down, Sarah let her voice ring out in a scream.

“I wish the Goblin King would kill the beast and save us all, right now!”


	8. Return of the Goblin King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be a 'Dark Jareth' tale, but I do paint him with that type of brush. I'm trying to envision him in how he might appear to others who haven't seen him before or how he'd react to anyone threatening Sarah, so our boy has got to amp up the dark attitude in that regard.

As she uttered those words, everything seemed to happen at once.

A crystal dropped from the ceiling, exploding into a thousand shards as a piercing light blanketed the room, sending the monster staggering and nearly blinding everyone with its brightness. Squinting against the glare, Sarah could see smoke rising from its body against the intruding light as it dragged her along the floor with the movement, it’s talons still anchored into her shoulder. She let out another cry of pain, wrenching on its arm to try and free herself, her knees grinding against shards of glass on the floor. Sobbing, she stumbled with the creature towards the gaping hole in the mirror, pulled by its grip. _No, please no…._ She shrieked, bucking wildly against the monster and the agonizing pain, fear of being pulled into that void of darkness and decay making her heart pound painfully in her chest.

Nancy and Jonathan shouted her name and reached for her, shielding their eyes against the light as Steve remained unconscious on the floor. Another crystal appeared, exploding next to the monster’s head, making it jerk back reflexively. Sarah gasped against the onslaught, letting out a small cry of pain as the creature’s talons jerked out of her shoulder and it spun away from the light. She staggered away from it as quickly as she could, slipping briefly on the floor, covering the wound with her hand as she leaned against a shower stall, biting her lip against the pain.

The door and barricade to the gym exploded, disintegrating into small shards of wood and metal. Before the shards could fall to the floor, they seemed to hover and vibrate in the air then all at once, slammed into the creature at a frightening speed. The very air seemed pregnant with the fury of the man who walked through the door, little horrific creatures sprinting into the room from under his robes, attacking the monster when he pointed his finger at it.

Sarah couldn’t help but stare, her eyesight waning as darkness pinched at the edges of her vision, her left shoulder throbbing as she continued to lose blood from the wound. He was a vision of pure ethereal fury, his long blonde hair the same as she remembered, his skeletal black armor shining and both terrifying and beautiful. His eyes blazed at the creature as his army attacked in unison, his fingers crushing into tight fists, the sound of bones cracking overheard with the gesture. Sarah was both grateful and frightened as he stared down the monster that had attacked her. She knew he was capable of great power, but the demonstration shocked her.

The monster fell back from the attack, letting out a low shriek as the creatures, under the direction of the Goblin King, attacked and shredded the tough hide of the monster into further injury. _Thank you,_ she thought, as the darkness at the edges of her vision creeped in, making her head feel heavy. Despite her mental protests, her body gave out. Sarah lost consciousness then, slumping into a heap on the floor. The monster seemed to sense something from beyond the hole in the mirror, letting out a renewed shriek of anger and flinging off the creatures with a frenzy. The creatures littered the floor at its feet and jumped and hissed at the monster, driving it towards the portal. It looked back at Sarah and the man, hissing a warning and then jumped through the portal in the mirror to the other side as the little creatures began to pursue it once more, the mirror’s cracks beginning to seal, shifting back as if nothing happened.

Jonathan and Nancy stared in a mixture of horror and fasciation as the blonde man tugged on his robes and the creatures ran back under the shelter of his cape, seemingly vanishing. Slowly, the room began to repair itself with a gesture of his hand. The entire scene had unfolded in seconds and they were afraid to move. Something about the man frightened them into silence.

“Sarah…” The man murmured, kneeling down and brushing her hair away from her face. His black gloves traced her face and he seemed to still, just noticing the wound. He ripped off one of his gloves and settled his hand against the wound, somehow slowing and stopping the blood loss. He reached down and scooped her up, rising and holding her to him, her feet swinging over his other arm as he held her lifeless body to his chest.

“No, don’t!” Nancy shouted, making him whirl. Her voice caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. In a flash, he was gone.

Just as Sarah and the mysterious man vanished, Steve came to with a jolt. He wiped at his face, blinking and looking around.

“What happened? Did we start?” He saw Nancy and Jonathan’s shared look, glancing around before looking back at them both. “Where’s Sarah?”

 

* * *

 

 

_“Sarah…”_

That voice, she knew that voice. It called out to her from the darkness that enveloped her. She’d dreamed about that voice. Was she dreaming then? Why couldn’t she remember what happened?

_“Sarah, love, please come back to me…”_

Oh god, that voice. She sobbed, reaching out blindly from where she lay in shadows, shivering and sweating at the same time, bound up with some kind of restraint. She was shocked at how weak she was, her limbs taking several moments to respond to her body’s commands. When her limbs finally responded, she wished they hadn’t. The pain was immediate and branding, sending a flare of pain so strong up her left side that she feared she’d pass out. Briefly, the voice faded from her hearing as the pain came into the forefront.

Letting out the incoherent cry of a wounded animal, unable to form words, Sarah tried again to find the voice. _There,_ she thought. It was near her again, against her right side. She turned her head towards the sound, panting against the pain and this time, prepared against the agony, reached out and willed herself to grasp at anything she could touch. Her eyes wouldn’t cooperate and she couldn’t see but her fingers grazed a silk shirt and a leanly muscled chest. Just as she felt fingers flutter against her brow, a low growl came from her left. She stiffened, recognizing the sound. _The monster,_ she thought. She turned her head towards the sound even as the fingers coaxed her face back to her right. She realized then that the growl hadn’t come from the left but from within her head. Just as Sarah realized this, something in her _lunged,_ tugging her fingers away from the feeling of him and dragging her down into the darkness.

She was rapidly tumbling into nothingness, shouts of her name fading in the background until nothing was heard but her screams.

 

* * *

 

 

Her descent into nothingness ended with a big splash into a shallow pool, jolting Sarah’s entire body painfully and soaking through her jeans and sweater top. She bolted upright and noisily coughed up water from her lungs, gagging between loud gasps where she hit the ground with a thud. Stumbling into a standing position, she whirled around, confused and frightened. Expecting the monster, she brought her fists up to protect her face. However, there was nothing.

Shivering and confused, she looked in all directions, seeing nothing but a blackness for miles. No trees, no horizon, nothing but darkness and the water at her feet that had soaked her clothes and slightly cushioned her fall. Strangely, there seemed to be a light, since she was able to see her reflection in the water at her feet, but when she looked up she couldn’t pinpoint a source for the light. As she tried to find her voice, even sound even seemed suppressed in this place as her voice sounded muffled to her years.

“H-Hello?” She whispered, suddenly afraid to shout. She tugged wet strands of her hair out of her eyes and wrapped her arms around her torso. It was freezing in this odd place, her limbs quickly growing numb. Oddly, the water at her ankles felt warm.  She tried walking forward a few steps, sloshing through water that pooled around her ankles, her wet shoes making the movements difficult, trying to find something to anchor her or make sense of this eerie place.

“Not safe for you here.”

She whirled into the face of a little girl with close-cropped curly hair. She blinked and stepped back a few steps, expecting a trick.

“Holy shit, you scared me. Where are we? How’d we get here? What is this place?” Sarah stared at the girl, trying to register her face with someone she knew, drawing a blank. She frowned, whirling around, gesturing around her.

“He wants you.” The girl said.

“The Goblin King? I called for him,” Sarah replied, frowning in confusion. She shivered, her teeth chattering against her stiff lips. “I think I was with him, that thing took me. Is this…the Upside Down?”

The girl shook her head. “Not him. Another.” She stared at Sarah, as if she was just as confused about meeting Sarah as Sarah was her. “Why are you here?”

“I don’t know. What is this place?” Sarah was curious how the girl knew of the Goblin King and the monster, opening her mouth to ask her another question. She frowned when the girl walked up to her quickly and brought a finger to her lips. Sarah immediately followed her orders as the girl glanced around warily, frightening her into submission. Was the monster in this place?

“Wait, not safe. He’s searching. Be quiet.”

Just as the girl said this, a low growl came from behind them. Sarah’s eyes widened in fear as the little girl frowned and grew angry, spotting something over Sarah’s shoulder. Sarah reached for her to grab her hand and start running when the girl looked back at Sarah.

“Time to go.”

She slammed her finger into Sarah’s forehead and Sarah fell back, never hitting the water.

 

* * *

 

Sarah bolted upright, a sob caught in her throat. She blinked, looking around franticly, trying to gather her bearings. She was alone in a non-descript stone room with what she assumed were windows covered in thick curtains on her right and a large roaring fire across the room. To her left were two doors: one was shut and the other opened into a crude bathroom but with all the modern amenities within. Looking down, she realized she was wearing a silk slip and she was pressed in the middle of a large canopy bed, the curtains of the canopy drawn tight with a gauzy material that didn’t completely suppress the light from the fireplace. Pillows had kept her barricaded against the edge of the bed, thick sheets tucked around her, explaining why she felt trapped earlier.

Swallowing, she fanned her fingers across her hair, finding her hair loose and snarled in thick damp knots. She felt clammy and dirty, realizing her silk shift clinged to her skin. She’d apparently been sick, from the way her fingers ghosted over her stomach and felt the hollowness there and the way her skin felt sticky with residual sweat. Shuddering, hoping for a shower, she suddenly realized her shoulder didn’t hurt and she reached for it, looking down. There, where the creature had wounded her, were four identical white scars, smooth and cool to the touch. When she looked at it and rotated her shoulder, she realized the scars glimmered briefly.

“The fuck?” She murmured to herself, frowning as she probed the scars more forcefully now.

“I wouldn’t do that. They’re not done removing the infection,” came the soft baritone reply from her side, making her gasp and drop her fingers.

“Wha…Goblin King?” Sarah tugged her knees up to her chest, grasping the blankets to cover herself a little more modestly as he stepped forward from the other side of the canopy, tossing aside the curtain with a sweep of a gloved hand. He smiled as he stepped into view, making Sarah’s nerves clench painfully in her stomach as she openly stared, not attempting to hide her response to the man she’d been dreaming of for the past three years.

“Hello, Sarah.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, having changed from his fearsome black armor into a subtler pair of tight gray trousers, loose peasant top and black boots and gloves. The ever-present pendant hung from the center of his chest, exposing his breastbone and a small expanse of lean muscle. Settling on the other side of the small barricade of pillows separating them, he leaned forward to inspect her shoulder. As he did, Sarah couldn’t help but notice how his long blonde hair caught glints of fire’s warmth, making her breath catch in her throat. She closed her eyes a moment as his gloved hand reached out, skimming across her jawline before reaching to her shoulder. Sarah swallowed visibly and forced her eyes open while he gently prodded her fresh scars, staring openly at his face, his hollow cheekbones, his upturned nose, the hollow of his throat and the lean muscled length of his frame. After several moments, seemingly satisfied with what he saw, his gloved fingers conjured a crystal and let it sink into her skin, leaving a trace of lingering dust in its wake. Suddenly, the cool glimmering touch of the scars made sense, he was healing her.

“There, much better.” He leaned back and smiled at her, catching her gaze as she took him in, but for once didn’t tease or taunt her, simply staring in return, his eyes drifting over the sight she most likely made. She blushed, reaching up to try and soothe her messy hair. Of all the reunions she had envisioned, this had not made the list. She knew she looked haggard by the kindest standards and suddenly felt immensely shy under his gaze. His eyes seemed to darken as his features turned tortured and she soon found his hand reaching for hers, tugging her to him. Surprised, she realized he’d embraced her.

“Don’t, stop. You’re beautiful. You….I almost lost you.” He sounded so solemn for a moment, Sarah didn’t know what to say. She frowned, relaxing into his embrace, resting her head against his chest.

“You came for me,” She replied, lifting her head after several moments. She stared at him openly, letting her curiosity and confusion flicker across her face, deciding after he displayed concern she wouldn’t hide her emotions from him either.

“Three years, Jareth. Why three years? Our last meeting, I hurt you…I’m so sorry, I never stopped thinking…” She murmured, stumbling over the words she’d lamented about in her heard since their last meeting, struggling to keep her composure. 

Suddenly, he was kissing her. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it was a kiss all the same. She didn’t immediately respond, not expecting such a reaction, but his lips and tongue quickly broke down her defenses and she grasped at his shirt, letting his tongue coax hers from her mouth. He gripped the back of her head tightly as his mouth moved hotly against hers, the tone of the kiss slowly shifting towards passion. Her body responded as her pulse picked up tempo and her stomach fluttered in response but she forced herself away from him, letting out a soft sigh as his mouth moved from her mouth to her cheeks and neck, another hand fondling her through her shift.

“Jareth, we need to stop..” She whispered, feeling him press her back against the bed, his gloved hand cupping her right breast gently. His teeth and tongue slowed as he let out a soft sigh, his feather soft hair tickling her cheeks.

“I know. Don’t send me away, please. Let me stay.” He murmured against her neck. She nodded and he pulled himself up, kicking off his boots, pulling her to him in the process. She curled against his chest, her head resting against the crook of his shoulder.

“I’m afraid to sleep,” she said after a moment. “Last time I slept, I saw it again. There was this little girl there…”

“Little girl?” He rumbled softly from her side, gently running a gloved hand up and down the curve of her back. She nodded against his chest. He stilled, cupping her closely against him.

“I can make sure you will not dream, “ He finally replied. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded. He’d saved her from the monster, hadn’t he? “Yes.”

Raising his other hand, he summoned a crystal and lightly skirted it against her chest. Once it touched her skin, it popped like a bubble, a rush of sleepiness hitting her. She stiffened but relaxed as he embraced her. Eventually, she fell asleep in his arms, this time without dreams.

* * *

As she slept, Jareth stared at the beguiling young woman who was _finally_ his again. She was even more beautiful than she was three years ago and it was only her soft plea that kept him from claiming her. She was with him now, in the Underground once more, and even if he’d stretched the power of her wish a little further than was wise, he’d never let her go again. Especially not now, knowing the stakes at play. She was _his_ and no other _._ His fingers reflexively tightened around her, forcing the predatorial urge to kill both the elementary _boy_ Steve Harrington for daring to attempt to take what was _his_ and the monster who’d tried to subvert her.

Leaning back, staring at her sleeping form, he couldn’t resist trailing a finger over her shoulder and down against her breast. Even in sleep, she responded, her nipples tightening against the thin fabric of her silk shift. He smiled, briefly curling his fingers against each in response, shifting his hand back to her side as she shifted in her sleep. She had been ill, after all, and he wanted to be sure he’d cleansed her fully before initiating anything. Frowning faintly, he remembered her mention a little girl and he stilled, looking down at the wounds covered with his magic. It’d been strong dark magic at play, almost too strong for him alone, so he wondered to whom he owed the assistance to. When she was awake, he’d press for more details. He was loathed to owe anyone a favor, freely offered or otherwise.  Regardless, she was here and he would die before he’d allow her to leave again. She’d come to see his reasons for making her stay. He was seldom wrong and having lived for millennia, he had cultivated his reasons carefully and couldn’t come up with a reason she’d protest.  She’d stay, be his queen, rule the Underground by his side and complete the bonding ceremony, allowing her to rule with him for a millennium.

Still, a niggling sense of dread tugged at his pride. The darkness, the monster, the other side. Sarah had possessed powers once she’d left his realm, having defeated him and the labyrinth, able to call into mirrors and lift the veil between worlds. However, since she’d moved from her childhood home, he’d had difficulty calling her into his crystals. Not that he felt power in scrying her across the realms, but when she was to be his future queen, he had planned to deter other suitors at first. It pleased him to learn that since meeting her, she found little interest in males of her kind, but then she’d simply vanished.

Against his better judgement, he had to find her out. She was _his_ and he was not about to let go of the one creature that roused a fierce desire in him like he hadn’t experienced in centuries. Little did he know that she’d stumbled into an area of the world clouded to even his eye.

Conjuring a crystal, he replayed the events in the locker room. Now that she’d wished him there, he could see more than he could before. His eyes narrowed and he stilled as he watched the scene replay. As the scene replayed, the crystal suddenly clouded and grew dark. Something was staring back at him, he could sense it. Jareth snarled back at the disembodied gaze in the crystal, his voice devoid of any warmth.

“How **_DARE_** you try and take what is **_MINE_** ,” He hissed in warning at the entity in the crystal. “Attempt it again and you will feel my wrath _,”_ crushing the crystal to sand in his grip.


	9. Friends in Odd Places

Sarah finally awoke from her dreamless sleep and she felt refreshed like she hadn’t in years. Jareth’s dream banishing had worked and she felt rested, the past few days like a distant bad memory. Smiling faintly, she skimmed her fingers over the covers to reach out to him when she realized she was alone. Slightly disappointed, she let her eyes flutter shut for a moment as she stretched in the bed.  Deciding to freshen up and explore the castle until she could locate Jareth and thank him properly, Sarah sat up and inspected the room more thoroughly than she had before. The fire had blanketed out, the logs crumbled to cooled ash in the hearth from being out for what appeared to be hours. A warm light brightened the room, as the dark curtains had been pushed aside as well as the canopy of her bed, revealing a dazzling view of the Labyrinth and the Underground through large windows gracing the walls that had been hidden the night before.

Sarah stood and approached the windowsill closest to the bed, leaning out slightly to sharply inhale the clean scent of the outdoors. She smiled as she felt the sun on her face, looking up to fluffy white and pink clouds hanging in the air. As a warm breeze kicked up, she was reminded of how sick she’d been the night before, her arms and face still clammy and tight with the salt and sweat still left on her skin. Looking down at her shoulder in the sunlight, she noticed the white thin scars remained but no longer glimmered, the power of the crystals having faded when it completed its cleansing. Her fingers reached up and traced each one, the monster attack coming back to her with a vengeance. She stilled as she reflected on the event in detail, swallowing roughly as she remembered how the talons felt lancing into her skin and the helplessness she felt as it had tried to drag her towards the portal in the mirror.

_Who was that little girl I saw in that place?_ Sarah wondered, remembering the in-between place she’d been after the attack, raising her gaze once more to the beauty of the Labyrinth. She let her eyes wander over the maze and the forests beyond, not seeing a single area of the Labyrinth that would constitute what she’d seen in the mirrors before Jareth came. _So, this Upside Down really is a different place than this,_ she mused in thought. _There isn’t a place in the Labyrinth that comes close to that level of darkness, not that I can see. Mischievous or misleading, maybe, but not evil. Not like that place._ She shuddered faintly, rubbing her hands over her arms, suddenly stuck with both a mixture of sadness and fear of this other place. _How could I see it, then? When I’ve never been there?_ The question remained unanswered in her mind as her eyes scanned the Labyrinth once more. For years, she’d felt both admiration and revulsion for her time in the Labyrinth, but fear was never an emotion she’d connected with the Underground. Learning about the Upside Down made her appreciate the circumstances of her time in the Labyrinth even more, in retrospect, even those memories she used to have mixed emotions on.

Immediately, she thought of Barbara and the missing person posters back home, tapped and worn and almost forgotten by the register at Melvald’s General Store. She shuddered again and let out a soft sob, covering her mouth, knowing how Barbara must have felt – like _she_ had felt – when that monster had drug her towards that portal, towards death. Hopelessness, desperation, and finally resignation to her fate.

_Whatever this place is, it’s trying to get out, trying to spread its chaos and death and decay. I must do something, I must help stop it. There shouldn’t be any more Barbara Hollands._ Squaring her shoulders, Sarah headed into the bathroom. Glancing over her shoulder once more at the Labyrinth, she closed the door behind her and started the beginnings of a bath, dropping what she assumed were bathing oils and liquids into the filling tub, pleased with the aromatic scents rising with the steam. Sinking into the warmth of the water, Sarah let out a small contented sigh and began to massage at the knots in her hair, ready to face the day and the undoubtedly argumentative Goblin King when she demanded he return her back to the Aboveground.

 

* * *

 

 

 Jareth smiled at the reflection of Sarah in the crystal he held in his hand as she woke, catching the flash of disappointment in the tug of her mouth when she’d discovered him missing from the bed. His heart tugged in his chest uncomfortably at the tell-tale signs of her attraction to him with his absence and he briefly considered leaving his throne and appearing in her room, just to catch her reaction to his presence. His eyes hungrily skimmed her figure in the silk shift as she stood and moved towards the windowsill, missing her reflective mood while studying the sun’s irritating way of teasing at her breasts, but he flicked his fingers and dismissed his crystal as soon as she turned to bathe. There’d be more time for that later, when she’d freely offer what he wanted to see without having to stoop to spying, no matter how tempting it was. Tapping his cane against a boot that was casually propped over his throne arm, he glanced around at the slight chaos as the crowd of kinder goblins, the only ones he’d allow in the castle, as they danced and singed around his feet, having heard about the girl’s return.

Frowning, he watched as the door at the far end of the room opened. His eyebrows rose in amusement as he saw the dwarf Hoggle shuffle in, tugging off his skull cap and standing there for several moments, as if debating the reasoning for his sudden bold entry. As Hoggle worriedly crushed his skullcap between his stubby fingers, Jareth grew bored and let out a sigh.

“Yes?” He barked across the throne room, causing the chaotic scene to still to a grinding halt. The goblins finally noticed the dwarf and sniggered faintly, causing the dwarf to redden and scowl at each in turn. Seeing the unamused look of the Goblin King, they eventually all scampered out, leaving the dwarf and the fae king staring at each other across the width of the room. Jareth raised an eyebrow once more and motioned in front of him, daring Hoddle to approach. The little dwarf let out a sigh and slowly shuffled to where Jareth sat on the raised dais. In all seriousness, Jareth was impressed with his courage. He must have known about Sarah’s return, as that seemed to be the only fortifying factor in the little man’s sudden bravado.

“Yer Majesty,” Hoggle said with Jareth surmised was great difficulty. Jareth continued to look amused, staring down at the pitiful creature with a bored expression. He had banished the little dwarf and his friends to the rock mines for several years, as he couldn’t force himself to dunk them in the bog in the wake of Sarah’s eventual return to him. He considered his punishment harsh but fair, as they suffered no long-term effects from the hard work of repairing the crumbling parts of the Labyrinth and he’d hoped they’d seen the generosity in his sentence. The dwarf looked tired and worn, his clothing thin around the elbows and knees, but all his fingers and toes seemed intact. While Jareth couldn’t sense animosity, he didn’t sense humility either. Gnashing his teeth together lightly in irritation, he sat up in his chair and peered down at the dwarf with a narrowed gaze.

“What is it, Hogwart? Did your duties at the mine end early today?” Jareth replied coolly, glancing down at him with a challenging look on his face.

The dwarf dropped his gaze, shaking his head. “No, I finished my shift early.” He fidgeted for several moments before raising his gaze once more. “I heard Sarah’s returned, Yer Majesty. I was hoping I could see her, if you’d allow it.”

Jareth stared at the dwarf then began to laugh faintly. “So, the little scab does know how to ask for permission from his King before doing something unwise.” Hoggle reddened again but sensibly didn’t say anything, staring at Jareth’s boots in silence. Jareth rolled his eyes and tapped his cane against his boots, studying his subject for several seconds before sitting up.

“Very well,” he said, waving a hand at Hoggle to tell him he was dismissed. The dwarf blinked and stared up at Jareth with disbelieving eyes. “Bring her other friends from before with you. She is in the queen’s quarters. You may lunch with her, but only for today and only for an hour. She was wounded and I will not have her overstressed, do I make myself clear?”

“Y-Yes, Yer Majesty! Of course.” For the first time in recorded history, Hoggle bowed to Jareth. It was Jareth’s turn to look surprised, one side of his mouth kicking up in amusement. Hoggle rose quickly and shuffled out of the room once more. Jareth cast one last amused glance at the door to the throne room before schooling his features, feeling the goblins slinking back into the room again. He motioned for them to continue and they once more broke out into chaotic song and dance, the King’s gaze shifting to stare out over the Labyrinth in how to demand that Sarah must stay. He hated to admit it, but that entity staring back at him from the crystal alarmed him. It was an unknown, only traced back to the Aboveground. He’d remained diligent in his observance of the Underground, knowing it hadn’t come from his realm. He wouldn’t dare go as far to admit he held fear, but he was overly cautious. Determined to keep her safe and in his company, he would never allow her leave.

 

* * *

 

 

“I don’t understand it! This is INSANE!” Steve shouted, throwing the phonebook in his hands across the room in a fury, knocking down a framed picture hanging from the wall in the process.

“Hey! That’s not helping!” Nancy cried, hurrying over and making sure the picture frame remained in one piece. Scowling, she put it back in its rightful place on the wall, hanging it back on the hook that the phonebook sent it falling from. She turned, scowling at Steve as Jonathan remained sitting on the bed in her bedroom in silence, both boys having snuck through the window. “If my mom heard that and comes to investigate, I’ll have a hard time explaining you two. Keep it down…”

“Sorry,” he grumbled, running a frustrated hand through his hair, weariness and worry etched into his face. He tossed his hands up, at a loss. “How can NO ONE know who she is, Nancy? Her own parents, the school, the damn phonebook and yearbook? It’s like she suddenly doesn’t exist and yet _we_ remember her. _We_ did this to her, Nance, insisting on summoning that damn Demogorgon. All of us. And this _Mr. Harrington creepy fuck_? He’s _got_ to be that man that took her that you talked about! How can you not see the coincidence of it all?”

Nancy held up her hands in mock surrender, coming towards the bed and collapsing on it, sighing and draping a hand over her eyes. “I never met him, Steve. I don’t have English first period, and since this mystery teacher _also_ seems to have disappeared from public record, I’m just going to have to take your word for it. He had blonde hair, like the teacher you said, and the same freaky eyes if your description is accurate. So…I guess, yeah. They might be the same guy. But _why_ would a man…if he is a man…who clearly has unfathomable power to be able to take down a Demogorgon with such ease, be here – in bumfuck Hawkins of all places?”

“Because we have a goddamn Frankenstein laboratory in our backyard?” Steve replied, the expression on his face so incredulous it was almost comical. “Maybe he’s like the damn Demogorgons and was attracted to it. Maybe he comes from the same place?”

“No, he fought that thing and won. He didn’t seem evil, at least not in the sense of the Upside Down. He helped seal the portal, Steve.” It was Jonathan who replied this time, tracing the patterns of Nancy’s bedsheets with his pointer finger while his hushed tone reached the ears of the others. “Whatever or whomever he is, he’s not from there. I just know it. The only other person I’ve seen do similar things was that little girl who friended Mike.”

There was a pregnant pause in the air. No one wanted to say it, but they were all thinking it. _And look what happened to her,_ they thought. _She’d died fighting one._

“So, _what then?_ We just let Sarah become the next Barbara?” Steve hissed glaring at the two of them on the bed and he stalked a circle on the floor. He stilled as he noticed Nancy flinch. “Sorry, Nance. I just…I can’t get her out of my head and that we did this. I can’t live with this, knowing this. We’ve gotta do something…”

Nancy sat up, hugging her arms tightly around herself, still wounded from Steve’s words. “I know, okay? This was my idea….again…” Her face crumbled and she let out a soft sob, hiding her head in her hands. Jonathan scowled at Steve and wrapped his arms around Nancy.

Steve made a savage gesture and walked towards the window.

“Where are you going?” Jonathan frowned. “We don’t have a plan yet.”

“You don’t,” Steve replied as he pulled the windowsill up and stepped through, placing his feet on the trellis. “I can’t sit here and keep talking garbage. I’m going to keep looking for her. There’s got to be _something_ Jonathan.”

With that, he slammed the windowsill down and climbed out of view, leaving Jonathan hugging a sobbing Nancy against his side. He sighed, closing his eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

Sarah was finishing up tying her hair into a braid when she heard a soft knock on the door. She’d initially scowled when all she’d seen in the closet was rows of dresses after her bath, but once she’d slipped it on, it felt as comfortable as jeans and a t-shirt against her skin. _Magic,_ her thoughts immediately answered. She smiled, adding another thing to her list to thank Jareth on as he must have noticed that day at school how much she’d hated the dress Nancy had forced her into. Luckily, the undergarments were designed as they were Aboveground. She’d have thrown a fit if she was supposed to wear corsets and garters.

“Hello? I’m nearly finished, is that you Jar… _Hoggle!”_ Sarah let out a cry of delight as she saw the door swing open and the elderly dwarf shuffled in, giving her a bright smile as his arms crossed over his chest.

“Hey Sarah. Hope you don’t mind I popped in for a visit.” He grinned then, watching her run across the room and drop to her knees, embracing him in a tight hug. He looked flustered, gently pushing her back at arm’s length, looking down at his clothes. “Nevermind that now, don’t want to ruin that pretty dress the King gave ya.”

Sarah frowned, instantly looking down and noticing his clothes. Her eyebrows rose as her face took on a cast of confusion. Her green silk dress remained unharmed, however, and she let her arms drop. She smiled, standing slowly.

“What on earth happened to you? Why are you so filthy?” She chuckled faintly and smiled but as she stared longer, her smile began to fade and be replace with worry. “You need a wash and some new clothes. Has…has Jareth been treating you badly, Hoggle?” Sarah’s last question was difficult to force out, ending in a strained whisper. She immediately felt guilt wash over her, hardening into the pit of her stomach. Had her friends suffered for years for helping her reach the castle? How could she have let Jareth touch and kiss her if he’d been torturing her friends all these years?

Hoggle immediately put her train of runaway thoughts to a stop as he waived a hand in the air. “Nothing we didn’t deserve, Sarah.” She opened her mouth to argue, her green eyes briefly glowing with anger when he shook his head, catching her attention again. “No, I mean it. Think about it, Sarah. What do your Kings do Aboveground when you commit treason?”

She stilled, thinking it over. The fire in her eyes died out as she swallowed. He nodded, patting her knee faintly against her skirts. “Exactly. He could’ve done anything to us, even killed us. He didn’t. He’s arrogant, sure. Foolhardy and a bunch of other unsavory things, but he didn’t kill us. Just sentenced us to a few years of hard work, undoing some of the damage we’d caused helping you. Rather kind, when ya think about it. The kingdom hated us for helping you and destroying so many things. Forcing us to work to put it back to rights sort’ve gave them a chance to forgive us. So don’t give him too much grief. We’re fine. I think he knew, one day, you’d be back, and he didn’t want ya thinking unkindly of him.”

Sarah’s eyebrows began to rise once more, staring at Hoggle as if he’d grown three heads. “You’re…actually defending Jareth?” She couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice. “Who are you and what have you done with Hoggle?”

The little dwarf laughed and motioned for her to follow him. “Same Hoggle, if I have just managed to gather some respect for him after our sentencing. But don’t tell him that, I still enjoy rankling him.” He cackled and wandered to the door, Sarah following him after laughing faintly, promising to keep his secret. “Come on now, let’s go have some lunch. I brought the others with me. They’re in the gardens.”


	10. An Afternoon with Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for coming along for the ride and entertaining yourself with this crossover fic I cooked up after watching Season 2 of Stranger Things. 
> 
> Spoiler warning:It’ll run fairly parallel to the events in Season 2, so if you haven’t finished the season, I don’t recommend reading further until you have. I don’t plan to change much plot with what happens to the ST characters or their arcs in the show, just adding fluff bits for the Labyrinth world and characters to work with.

 

 

Sarah kept pace with Hoggle as he shuffled excitedly towards their destination in the gardens, listening in detail to his tales about working in the mines and their repairs on the Labyrinth, of which there were many. At first, as they walked through the twisting maze of the castle grounds, Sarah did her best to commit the course to memory but realized quickly she’d never get it right. Eventually, she gave up the fruitless activity, simply enjoying the dwarf’s company and gossip as they walked, getting to know one another once more from all their years apart.

Occasionally, she’d comment on something he’d say or mention what she’d been doing Aboveground with her life and they’d smile at each other in unison or gasp in surprise at something unexpected. While both were drastically changed since their last meeting, Sarah couldn’t be more honored to call Hoggle a friend and hoped he held the same sentiments about her. Absence truly did make the heart grow fonder. Sarah would catch herself unexpectedly grinning at him as he talked and when he’d frown and ask what was wrong, she’d reply the same each time.

“Nothing’s wrong, you’ve just grown into this marvelous person and I’m so happy to call you my friend.”

He’d blush of course and tell her she was being silly but she knew he warmed at the compliment. When she mentioned her move to Hawkins, he realized that was about the time he’d lost the ability to answer her calls in the mirror, explaining he’d tried to reach her several times when her calls stopped and when she didn’t reply, he assumed she’d just gotten wrapped up in her own priorities.

“What do you mean you tried calling? What happened?” She frowned, her pulse ricocheting into a loud roar in her ears as she realized the implications of what he was saying. She slowed to a stop in the middle of a darkened stone passageway, peering down at him with confusion.

Hoggle shrugged, looking around to make sure they were alone and Jareth wasn’t spying, not wanting him to witness Sarah’s sudden stricken expression. He’d made a promise not to overstress her and seemed to have managed to do just that, inwardly cursing himself for bringing up the sudden loss of their chats across realms. “I’m not sure, but it was just like you were suddenly not respondin’. I’m no magic wielder but it almost seemed like we were just not gettin’ through.”

 _The Upside Down,_ she immediately thought. _Oh God._ She swayed briefly, fear permeating her senses and making her nauseous. She leaned over, drawing in a shuddering breath. _It wouldn’t let Jareth in the room when I summoned the monster_. She remembered his terrified roar on the other side of the door, closing her eyes and hearing the words echo again through her head: _“SARAH! I can’t get in! It’s blocking me! Wish me there, Sarah! WISH ME THERE!”_

Letting out a faint groan of dismay, Sarah realized just how far reaching the impacts of Hawkins could be. If it could block even Jareth’s power until she’d wished for him, just how powerful was this thing? What had she left her friends dealing with? Were they alive? Tears stung her eyelids as she closed them, tasting bile at the back of her throat. _Please God, let them be alive._

As she leaned forward and her expression grew further alarmed, Hoggle reached out and patted her hand gently, trying to comfort her and ease her worries. “Aww, it prolly ain’t nothin’, Sarah. Just a magical hiccup is all. Please don’t worry, we’ve been fine.”

 _He thinks I feel guilt for failing to contact him for all these years._ Swallowing back her worst fears for those she’d left Aboveground, she finally forced a small smile when his face showed concern and stood back up, straightening her skirts. _If only it really was just guilt, then things would be much easier. I only hope I can convince Jareth to return in time before something worse happens._ Sarah continued to silently worry but kept the smile she’d formed in place so she didn’t give Hoggle any indication of her thoughts, as he was clearly alarmed about the panic in her eyes.

“It’s just been a rough few days,” she replied evasively when his gaze remained questioning. “Did Jareth explain how I came back?”

He shook his head and Sarah simply nodded, deciding it best to not involve her friend. She didn’t want to put him in harm’s way, now that he’d finally found contentment in life. When he tried to question her after that, she simply asked him politely to lead them towards the others, mentioning she’d discuss the issue with Jareth. Slightly off put with her reply, he eventually granted her request and continued to lead them towards their destination. Once more, his reminiscing of the trio’s exploits resumed and Sarah let her mind travel to more pleasant things, trying to calm her nerves.

Hoggle’s improved spirits with his newfound purpose in the Underground proved contagious, lifting her own dolorous mood. Unable to control it, Sarah felt a warmth spread through her heart as she once again listened to his latest adventures. It seemed that her three lost friends had earned a reputation over the years and had become known as some of the best renovation experts in the Underground, given their only competition were goblins.

No longer was Hoggle confined to the gates of the Labyrinth, administering to the faerie pest problem or overgrown weeds in isolation, instead free to explore and improve upon the Labyrinth and earn the trust and friendship of the citizens of the Underground, upon the condition that they first completed their shifts in the mines that Jareth demanded with their punishment.

Sarah smiled faintly dropped her gaze to the ground as she walked along the castle corridors, passing through archways and catching her lower lip between her teeth, doing her best to keep the emotion in her face minimal in the event Hoggle questioned her again. She found it slightly ironic that she had seen Jareth as a nemesis during her initial visit in the Labyrinth. She knew now in hindsight that the view was mostly due to her own naivety and selfishness, but still she felt bemused with witnessing the other side of the coin after all these years. While Jareth was most certainly still arrogant and narcissistic, he also seemed to show facets of altruism that she hadn’t noticed before.

Despite her conflicting emotions, she a forced up a wall of caution up in her mind concerning him until she’d made good on her vow from earlier that morning. _No matter how charming he seems, play your cards close to your vest for now. You still have a job to do back home with the Upside Down and it’s guaranteed to be a fight for the ages to get Jareth to agree to return you Aboveground._

“Y’alright, Sarah? Something troublin’ you again?” Hoggle asked, interrupting her internal struggle, noticing that she had once again fallen silent as they neared the end of the latest set of corridors. He reached and pushed through another sturdy door, relief briefly flickering in her gaze as blinding sunlight filled the corridor, signaling they had finally reached the outdoors.

“No, it’s nothing.” She waved a hand, bringing her attention back on the dwarf, dismissing his concerns and helping him push open the heavy door. Just as they stepped outside, Sarah paused and reached down, catching something out of the corner of her eye as they turned towards the gardens, tugging on Hoggle’s sleeve. She smothered a grin as he reddened and shrugged her off, seeing the cloudy remnants of a plastic amber bracelet still anchored around his left wrist.

“You kept it,” she commented, standing and letting him get his bearings once more, clearly embarrassed and flustered at her sudden search of his person and gentle observation.

“Was all I had to remember ya by. Can’t blame a guy for keeping a souvenir of the most important event in the Labyrinth’s history, can ya?” He finally grinned, shaking off most of his discomfort, motioning her along the cobbled pathway underneath their feet that trailed along the side of the castle and into an opening of perfectly trimmed hedge shrubs, blocking their view to the Labyrinth or gardens beyond.

Sarah blinked again, following behind Hoggle as she tried to make sense of his words once more. _Most important event? What – Oh!_ Her eyes briefly caught the back exterior of the castle’s impressive concentric design and she briefly lost her attention again to the structure. Completely dazzled at the immense size, she tried to connect it to the castle she remembered from her first visit. Having her first chance to really study it, she let her eyes wander as she tried to identify which parts formed the exterior walls and which were the interior keep sections. The dark surface glimmered in the sun from the quality of the quartz mineral embedded in the stone, making her catch her breath at its beauty. For an instant, she thought she spotted a blonde figure in a distant tower window but when her gaze narrowed on the spot, it vanished.

Realizing she’d fallen behind from her ogling of the castle, Sarah lifted her skirts to run up to Hoggle who was several yards ahead of her and disappearing in the hedge tunnel opening up ahead, replaying his words in her head. “Wait, the most important event in Labyrinth history? Don’t be ridiculous!” She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Surely there’s been another champion?”

“Not that I can remember, an’ I’m basically old as dirt, so that’s prolly as close to a no as ye’ll get.” Hoggle replied in amusement, rounding a corner in the long lines of the shrub maze, leading Sarah into a small arched opening between two willows that led into a small garden. Inside at the center was a small lounge set of chairs, a large canopy of willow trees shading the gathering area and a table burgeoning with food. Around the table, away from the cobbled stone path, were rows and rows of bright blooming roses and wild flowers of all shapes and colors, held encapsulated by the tall hedge shrubs, giving the illusion of seclusion for this small space. In the distance, she heard a small splash of water, leading her to believe a fountain was nearby. Sarah let out a gasp at the scene, struggling to comprehend all the beauty at once, when a familiar chorus of voices rang out, drawing her attention back to the lounge set.

“My lady!”

“Sawah! Sawah friend!”

Laughing and picking up her skirts to sprint across the grassy opening, she spotted Ludo and Sir Didymus waiting patiently for her by the table, both grinning ear to ear and also looking rather unclean but happy nonetheless. As she embraced them both, giving them tight hugs and raining kisses on their cheeks, she noticed Ambrosius contentedly chewing on a bone in the grass. 

“Oh, Ludo! Sir Didymus! I’ve missed you both so much!”

Ludo continued to grin at her with his unique unhurried humility, allowing his brother Sir Didymus to control most of the chatter. Hoggle cackled faintly as Ambrosius sneezed haughtily when offered something from the table, preferring his bone.

“My lady! We heard of thy injury and return! Pray tell, are ye fully recovered then?”

Sarah nodded, settling in a chair and straightening her skirts, motioning her friends to join her. Each found their way around her in their own way with Hoggle joining her in a chair beside her, Sir Didymus finding a short stool and Ludo simply choosing to sit in the grass with Ambrosius.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. Jareth healed me. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you all! I’ve missed you so much! I’m so happy to be able to catch up with you. Are you sure you’re allowed to all lunch with me? Hoggle told me the conditions of your…punishment.” She grinned at the use of the word but watched the three look between themselves with a smile.

“Why, lady, Sir Hoggle asked the King himself for permission to see ye!” Sir Didymus spoke, holding his small fox-like hands in his lap, ever the gentleman. Hoggle reddened but allowed Sir Didymus to continue, rolling his eyes as Sarah let her gaze flicker towards him. She laughed faintly and looked back at Sir Didymus as he continued, catching Ludo already napping out of the corner of her eye. “T’was His Majesty’s wishes that we join ye for lunch to brighten your spirits but only for a brief period. He is worried for your health, so we are concerned as well. Are ye sure there is nothing we can gather for ye? Shall we make ye a plate of nourishments?”

Sarah smiled but rose, shaking her head. “Thank you, but no, I don’t have much of an appetite. I’ll find something, I’m sure. And honestly, I feel great. Jareth healed me and I don’t feel anything from the other night.” She poured herself a glass of what she assumed to be water and grabbed a handful of grapes as the others finally descended on the table of food with aplomb after her insistence they eat as well.  She laughed as the mention of food immediately roused Ludo out of his nap, the large creature shifting up and heading towards the table. As he ate, she noticed how an alarming amount of food disappeared with each bite and now saw why Hoggle and Sir Didymus ate with such fervor. Grinning, she wondered how they managed to keep him fed during the week and have enough leftovers to eat themselves.

As they ate, Hoggle glanced back at her. “What happened to ya, if ya don’t mind me askin’? He said ya were injured but didn’t go into detail. Yer not in some sort of trouble, are ya?”

Sarah sipped at her glass, tasting a sweetness like grapes, realizing the clear liquid was some sort of juice. She winced at the sweetness, despite its lovely taste. She felt the heat of Hoggle’s gaze and quickly swallowed, almost choking as she saw Sir Didymus’ ears twitch towards the hilt of his lance at the promise of adventure and avenging her honor. She held up her hand and smiled.

“It was just an accident,” she responded, inwardly flinching in the ease of how she lied, despite knowing this was out of their league and they were best left ignorant on the subject of the Upside Down. “Jareth brought me here, as he’d been Aboveground for something and brought me back to heal. I’m sure he’ll return me Aboveground soon.”

“Oh? I will?” A smooth voice drifted from her left side. Sarah nearly dropped her glass and grapes as the others quickly stood and bowed.

“Your Majesty!” They all echoed at once.

Sarah shifted her gaze but didn’t rise, swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat. Her green eyes met his icy uneven ones, a silent challenge glowing in them. He looked as beautiful as always, perhaps even more so with the intensity of the sun above highlighting the sharp angles of his face. She forced herself to hold her ground, green eyes clashing with blue, only Hoggle’s small cough interrupting their silent stare down.

“Will ya be joinin’ us, Yer Majesty?”

Ludo and Sir Didymus looked up at Jareth, who still hadn’t removed his gaze from Sarah’s. Finally, his eyes slid towards the others, looking at the work they’d made of the table. His mouth briefly twisted into a small frown and he waved his hand at the table, replenishing the food once more.

“No, I think not. I’ve only come to ask Sarah to dine with me this evening.” He turned again, his brown leather coat molding to his back and tight grey trousers, sending a trail of red up her cheeks, even though she refused to drop her gaze below his eyes. He smirked at the blush, knowing that despite her attempt to not stare, he’d forced a response out of her. She swallowed, taking a sip of her drink, for once clinging to the overtly sweet taste against her tongue.

“Well, precious? Will you join me this evening?” He murmured gently, tilting his head slightly and letting his gaze drop to the dress and the figure she cut in its tailored waist and dipping neckline. She refused to acknowledge his stare with awkwardness, feeling an inner smugness when she managed to keep hold of the glass in her fingers without trembling.

“Er, sure. I need you to return me…” She started, only to have him clap his hands together once and grin, interrupting her.

“Excellent, pet. I will have a servant fetch you later tonight. Wear something dark, please. I’ve a surprise for you.”

She frowned, rising from her chair and opening her mouth to continue her insistence that he return her Aboveground when he simply vanished from sight. She glowered at the spot of empty air where he once was and sat down with a frustrated sigh, straightening out the knots in her skirts. “Damn,” she muttered, swallowing another gulp of the drink.

Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo exchanged knowing looks. Despite the good manners demonstrated in front of them, they could tell there was something dark lurking under the surface between those two.

“Tell us about Toby,” Hoggle started, catching Sarah’s attention and pulling her thoughts towards something more positive. She smiled brightly, remembering her three-year-old little brother.

“Oh, he’s the best. He’s starting to talk and I can barely keep up with him,” she started with a laugh, letting the rest of the afternoon linger on happier things.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time the afternoon sun began to settle, Sarah had forced her friends to return to their home near the mines, determined that they should not get in further trouble since they were already past their curfew. She refused assistance back to her room, eager to explore the castle grounds. Finally, after much debate, they made their leave and she watched them go after hugging each in turn fiercely, explaining she’d call them more often.

As they left her alone in the gardens, Sarah mulled for several minutes on how to confront Jareth, pacing in a small circle. She frowned and shook her head as she thought through several ways to demand he return her.

 _I demand you return me at once!_ Sarah paused, grimacing. _He just saved your life, jackass. That’s not it._ She resumed pacing then slowed. _I’ll sleep with you if you return me Aboveground._ Sarah actually laughed at that one. She knew he was interested but didn’t believe in her seduction powers that much. Besides, who was seducing who half the time? _And be honest, you’d do that anyways if he looked at you the right way long enough._ Sarah grit her teeth, irritated at her own thoughts for betraying her. _FOCUS!_

“Ok, let’s try this again,” she muttered, closing her eyes and thinking through a thousand different reasons. Finally, one came to her that frightened her the most. _My whole family and possibly the town or the entire Aboveground will die or be taken over if that thing gets out._ Sarah froze, remembering the gaping maw of the Demogorgon and its endless rows of teeth with a shudder. _That’s about as good as you’ve got. When in doubt, go with honesty._

Her mind made up, she moved to head back towards the castle when two skinny goblins no higher than her waist entered the garden with large barrels. They chattered in some high-pitched guttural language but paused when they noticed her. Staring at her with big eyes, they let their mouths hang open a moment before looking at each other, chatting more excitedly in that odd little language. Before she could ask what they were saying, they quickly launched themselves at her feet.

“It’s her! It’s the lady who ate the peach!” One cried, the other briefly looking up but when his gaze clashed with her own, bowed his head again, practically smashing it into the grass. She laughed and asked them to stand and resume what they were doing.

They hurried to the table and began to gather up the dishes but kept staring at her every so often. Amused at the creatures, she watched them work and asked if they worked in the kitchens.

“Yes, yes! We make soups and cut the veggies and fruits real fine! We make the tiny bits go snip snip! We like knives!”

Sarah found that answer odd but considering her company, to be expected. She moved to help and they screamed, arms flailing. “No, lady! No help! Kingy would be mad! We can clean! We clean good! Yes, yes!”

Sarah stepped back, dropping what she’d been helping with. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble.”

They seemed so relieved that they nearly passed out. She chuckled, turning to leave, then looked up at the castle and gulped. Maybe her insistence that her friends leave her in the gardens so she could find her way back to the castle was a bit unrealistic, if she was to change and prep for the evening. Turning back to the goblins, she interrupted their cleaning with a clear question for the two.

“Would one of you mind taking me to my room?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Goddamn, that’s another patch ruined! That sonfabitch Eugene is gonna pay!” Tossing a putrid pumpkin down with disgust, he gagged at the smell as it burst, spewing its rotted contents across his boots.

Chief Hopper motioned at Merrill to back off, stepping back in time to avoid being splattered with the ruined pumpkin. “No one’s insinuating anything until we complete a full investigation. Step back, please. Let us survey the area.”

“Investigation? What investigation? My crop’s ruined and right before Halloween, Jim! You know that Eugene had to have done this!”

“We don’t know that,” Hopper replied, shaking his head. “Now go on back to the house, when I’ve taken a good look around, I’ll let you know what I find.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, he stalked off, leaving Jim standing in the rotting field.

As Jim turned and looked around, he didn’t realize he was being watched from the woods, a low hiss never reaching his ears.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Sarah returned to her room, it was almost time to dine with Jareth. She should have known better than asking the goblins for help, as they’d gotten lost as much as she had. Finally, they flagged down a proper servant, who looked eerily human to her and eager to assist, escorting her to her room with an hour to spare. While the servant offered to send in a maid to help her dress, Sarah refused, explaining she was used to dressing and bathing on her own. Eventually, she got the servant to leave with a promise to return and escort her to the dining hall and as soon as the door shut she stripped off her green dress, heading into the bathroom to freshen up.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she swallowed and forced herself to grip the counter, easing the trembling in her limbs. “Who says I’m nervous? I’m not nervous….” She murmured to her reflection, trying to ease the butterflies in her stomach at seeing Jareth again. _You’re not fooling anyone, little girl, you’re about to faint._ Sighing, she lathered up some soap and began to scrub over her face and shoulders, removing her bra. Her hair had held up well and she didn’t want to do much to it but add some accents, spying some jeweled hairclips in the corner.

Once washed, she changed her undergarments and set about clipping the jeweled pieces in her hair. She smiled faintly as the silver and white jewels caught the light of the sconce in the bathroom, glittering against her dark hair. Tilting her head to survey her work, she seemed pleased, even if the clips gave here flashbacks to years ago, at a different type of affair. _Very classy,_ she thought. _Not too overdone like that last time._ Still, a faint twinge of warmth settled in her core, making her aware how careful she’d need to be tonight. _Don’t go there, Sarah. Not yet._

Her eyes dropped back to her reflection and she began to put makeup on her face, finding some in the drawers of the demure vanity. He had seemed to think of everything to make her feel comfortable. Running a small puff brush against her cheeks, she smiled as the blush drew out the emphasis of her own cheekbones.

Putting the finishing touches on her look, she inwardly thought of Hawkins once more and how they must be faring. As she was applying eyeliner, she stilled, noticing the mirror beginning to vibrate. Dropping the liner, she stepped back quickly and stared, gasping in horror at what replaced her reflection in the mirror.

Within the beautiful frame of the mirror was a darkened tunnel, pulsing with vines and grotesque flowers that seemed to be releasing the odd floating substance that hung in the air. She watched as a strange growling sound began to gradually emit from the mirror, catching a flash of something in the corner of the mirror.

“Oh god,” she gasped, realizing what it was. Dozens of small lizard-like things crawled on the floor of the tunnel, wiggling along the vines. As one raised its head and let out a shriek, she instantly knew what it was. _Baby Demogorgons,_ she realized with dread. _Was this Hawkins? Where is this?_

“Go away,” she hissed back at the reflection in her mirror. “Go away _right now_!” She said louder, watching the mirror vibrate roughly, as if fighting her, before eventually stopping, the image growing dark and cloudy before releasing, her reflection returning in the mirror. She swallowed roughly and stepped forward, taking several attempts to finish applying her eyeliner due to the shaking of her hands.

Not daring another look at herself in the mirror, she hurriedly donned a dark velvet dress the color of cobalt with pearl buttons and silver thread lining the sleeves and low neckline. It was more severely cut than she would have liked, accenting her breasts, waist and hips, the skirts cut into a trumpet style fashion, flaring out around her mid-thigh. Still, the color was the only one that matched Jareth’s request that she wear dark tonight. Knowing he’d probably purposefully placed her in a dress that made her uncomfortable, she sighed and tied a necklace around her throat and fastened some earrings on her lobes that she found waiting for her on the bed when she’d exited the bathroom.

Squaring her shoulders to settle her nerves, a knock on the door signaled that her escort was there to lead her to dinner with Jareth.

 _Here goes nothing,_ she thinks, steeling herself for her first real meeting alone with Jareth in years.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, this is what I had in mind for her dress: https://tinyurl.com/yc9gq3qb  
> Work it, girl!


	11. Fatal Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light sexual content in this chapter.

Jareth sat at the dining table in the large mirrored room, one leg casually crossed over the other, waiting for Sarah to arrive. His eyes lingered on the two lavish settings at the table, his gaze stopping on the chair beside his that remained empty as he waited. He'd arrived early in an attempt to calm his temperament but was failing. He clenched his gloved hands into fists, the only outward indication of his ire, replaying her words in his head from earlier. He had immediately removed himself from the garden and her friends while he returned to his study, shoving a bookcase over in an effort to relieve the vicious emotion that clawed at his stomach. He'd raged for a moment then taken flight for the rest of the afternoon, hoping physical exhaustion would offer distraction.

It hadn't.

 _How dare she,_ he seethed inwardly. His jaw tensed as he closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose, allowing himself a small brief display of emotion while he was alone.  _Does she not know how close to death she was? How generous I was to take her here, heal her, remove her from that place? Let her have lunch with her friends? And the first thing she asks is to be returned Aboveground?_

Dropping his hand and schooling his features, he reached for his wine glass, already full of wine, swallowing the entire contents in one quick gesture. The warmth pooling in his stomach did little to settle his distemper but he forced himself to calm, not wanting to end the night badly with Sarah, setting the glass back down on the table with a belied ease that was a stark contrast to his emotional state. Avoiding examining his emotions too deeply, he simply wanted to see her smile at  _him_ before the night ended _,_  not her friends – here or Aboveground. Just once, he wanted to see her smile directed  _at him and because of him_. He recognized that he still loved her fiercely but he was resentful and wary of her after her rejection of his love all those years ago, even if she'd been too young to understand his offer at the time.

Briefly, his mind lingered on their shared kiss the other evening. He closed his eyes again, reliving that moment. His fingers twitched briefly as he felt the beginnings of desire stir in him, but he was still enormously embittered that he couldn't tell if she'd responded because of him alone or because she survived the events of the previous evening and was thankful for her life.

Dismissing the kiss from his mind, he motioned for a servant to refill his glass. As a male attendant brought a silver bottle forward and began to pour more wine into his glass, he heard the door open. Lifting his gaze and unfolding his legs to stand, he stood slowly and caught Sarah's reflection in the mirrored paneling, as she'd entered from behind him through the main double doors. He froze briefly with his back to her, allowing his eyes to scan her reflection as she approached, her escort having bowed and closed the doors, leaving her alone with him and the servants who would be serving them dinner.

His breath briefly caught in his throat and he stared hungrily for a second before he forced his expression back to his usual reflexive mask. She paused, seeing him rise, and turned a faint shade of pink as she regained her steps and came up beside him. A white dressed servant held out the chair to his side and Jareth smiled, briefly at a loss for words at the loveliness she painted in the cobalt dress. He could tell, from the nervous dart of her eyes over his form as she settled into the chair beside his, that she didn't miss the mirrored accents in his own coat and trousers.

"Good evening, Sarah. I'm so glad you could join me. Shall we?" He briefly flashed her a set of pointed teeth before seating himself once more and folding his napkin in his lap, watching her do the same. He motioned for a servant to bring in the first course.

"You look absolutely stunning, precious." He returned his full attention back to Sarah and let his gaze lower. He was a man, after all, and he couldn't resist perusing what was on display. Tastefully, of course, despite his body's immediate vicious response to her presence, the only indication of his immediate desire the small clenching of his fingers around the stem of his wine glass as he reached again for his cup.

* * *

 _Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he's gorgeous,_  she thought, doing her best to add her napkin to her lap without showing how nervous she was. Already, he was under her skin. She'd felt the pit of her stomach lift and her fingertips tingle as she'd stared at him from across the dining room when she'd entered from the far side. He'd dressed impeccably, as always, in a dark trouser and boot set, complimented with a velvet cobalt jacket and silk top, not too dissimilar from the one he wore when they'd danced all those years ago, if a slightly tamer version.

 _God, give me strength to make it through this night._ Regardless of how her body wanted him, she knew she had to bring up the subject of the Aboveground once more. Steeling herself for a fight later, she decided to enjoy the trappings of dinner before destroying the illusion. She thanked a servant that approached and filled her wine glass, reaching for it once it was full to try and steady her nerves. Briefly, she noticed he appeared eerily human and pinned Jareth with a questioning gaze as they left to bring in what she assumed was dinner.

"They are not human," he replied almost immediately, following her train of thought. He continued to gaze at her like she was dessert and Sarah did her best not to blush, even if the way his eyes lingered at her throat and breasts made her dress feel hot and constricting.

"What do you mean?" She asked, hoping to bring his silent gaze away from her body and more on pleasant conversation.

It seemed to work as his eyes slowly lifted to her face and she saw the fire in his eyes diminish as the servants brought out salad and bowls of soup. He flicked a wrist and they disappeared once again so they could eat in silence. As Sarah reached for a fork and began to eat, inwardly moaning at the food orgasm in her mouth, he smiled and replied. "They're changelings. They're…ah, shall we say, the forgotten or lost children of the Labyrinth?"

Sarah paused in her eating, swallowing the last mouthful of salad she had on the end of her fork with a wince. "Are they…what Toby would have become if I had lost?"

"Yes," he replied, arching an eyebrow as he helped himself to his appetizers. Sarah felt queasy all of a sudden and he gently laid a gloved hand on her free one. "Sarah, they are only here because they want to be. When they become citizens of my kingdom, I allow them to choose their lifestyle. No one needs to be forced into a life they hate. If they do resent their station, it has little to do with me and more with their own choices. Well, mostly." He let his lips twitch in amusement at that.

Sarah blinked, staring at his face for several long moments, realizing he was serious. She then remembered her meeting with her lost friends this afternoon and knew that despite Jareth's so-called punishment, they'd flourished. She nodded after a moment, returning to eating her salad.  _God, he's so confusing!_ Her mind swirled with the new knowledge of what became of the children lost to the Labyrinth while she finished her salad in silence.

Jareth stared openly, eventually removing his hand and returning to his own food.

"So, what would Toby have become if I'd lost?" She asked after several moments, curious what he'd had envisioned for her little brother, now that she knew Jareth wouldn't have turned him into a goblin. "And why make me think you'd turn him into a monster?"

Jareth chuckled faintly and wiped at his mouth, of which she found herself openly staring at, immediately dropping her gaze and sipping at her wine. "Goblins are and always will be a separate species. They enjoy mischief, as does their cousins. Sprites, brownies, others of their like. I allow them to play my games with me when a child is wished away. It brings them such pleasure, I cannot deny them this. They like the fables, even if they're not true." Sarah stared openly and he continued. "I'd hoped to train him as my replacement and make him my heir, if he'd shown the aptitude and interest. But, as you know, things did not go according to my initial plans…" He raised an eyebrow again as Sarah's gaze whipped back to his. "Surprised, pet?"

"Yes," she immediately replied, thrumming her fingers against the table. She swallowed her last bite of salad and pushed it gently away, keeping her gaze on his as they both examined one another, feeling the plate and soup bowl being lifted away from her by one of the well-trained servants.

"So why the monster story then?" She coaxed, wanting him to finish.

He shrugged, sipping on his wine. "It's part of the story that's planted in your realm. I am merely the messenger. I did not create the fable, your mortal ancestors did. They always were a superstitious lot, so it only was fitting they'd envisioned me and my citizens as monsters." She tilted her head to the side. "The book, it's a magical anchor to my realm. Surely you remember how it goes?" He grinned faintly, knowing what was playing through her mind.

It probably wasn't what he thought, about wishes and goblin kinds and being turned into monsters. She smiled faintly to hide her discomfort at the words that rang through her head:  _But what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and given her certain powers._ Inwardly, she wondered if that was still true – but for her or for him?

"I do. I doubt I'll ever forget," Sarah managed to reply with a whisper, forcing her gaze away from his as his grew heated once more, most likely remembering the same lines she had after all. She swallowed and sipped at her wine, studying the room with a nervous glance around the large hall, making herself drink the wine in small sips only so she'd remain level-headed. Already, she felt her insides pooling between her thighs each time his fixed stare caught hers.

More plates were sat in front of them, these offering what appeared to be braised chicken breasts and roasted vegetables with a spiced dark gray. Once again, a pregnant silence fell over them both as Sarah tried to make sense of Jareth's motives and Jareth seemingly tried to eat her with his gaze.

"So, you never found an heir, then? No Goblin Prince that I need to meet?" Sarah asked after several minutes, once they were alone again. Jareth shook his head as he cut and swallowed a small piece of chicken.  _God, he even makes eating sexy. I am in so much trouble._

"No," he replied, swallowing. "I've yet to find someone willing that inspires me on that level. Times change, though, and perhaps I will be granted an heir one day." He let his gaze linger on her throat again, not mentioning how that heir might be obtained but Sarah was able to place two and two together and faintly colored, his eyes staring at the necklace she wore. "You wore the jewels. They were my mother's. She would be pleased that they're once more in use."

Sarah blinked, caught off guard by his random offering about his past. "Your mother, she is gone?" Jareth nodded, continuing to eat easily, as if they'd been discussing the weather. "I take it you weren't close, then?" She asked, curious to his detached air when discussing his mother's absence.

He shrugged, catching her gaze. "Are you close to yours?" Sarah stilled, nodding slowly as she resumed eating her meal. She understood all too well the odd feelings surrounding an emotionally-stunted biological mother.

"She loved me as best she could," Jareth offered, returning to eating. "We are not an overly emotional race, you see. We tend to leave that to the changelings and the humans. I loved her in turn, but I suppose I did not feel what some children might feel when she fell into the fade. Besides, death is different for us. Usually, when one dies, you have lived so long with them that the idea of losing them is strangely, easier to bear."

Sarah listened, enraptured. She frowned, pausing as she was about to eat another forkful of vegetables. "Wouldn't it hurt to lose someone you'd known for…ages…not…make it easier?"

"You're thinking like a mortal, precious." Jareth murmured, wiping at his mouth. His gentle tone told her he meant no offense so she didn't take it that way. "When you've lived as long as we can, it changes you."

"So you feel nothing?" Sarah replied, slightly alarmed.  _How can I care for someone who can't care back? Is he really that different than me? What am I doing?_

"Not all of us, no. Some feel quite passionately, it's just not very common. For instance, I feel more than most. All my interactions with humans seems to have influenced me on some fundamental level, others would say." Jareth grinned faintly, reaching for his wine glass.

Sarah smiled then, her shoulders relaxing. She didn't notice how Jareth's gaze sharpened on her response and his own smile grew slightly wider as she took a last bite of her meal.

"So how many here are like you?" She asked, curious.

"Not as many as you'd think, and those that are tend to avoid me. I am something of an odd duck, as you humans would say. They prefer little contact with humans. I wouldn't worry, pet." He replied, returning to his dinner when she nodded. She sat quietly, watching him eat as she'd finished her meal, or as much of it as she could eat.

"Dessert?" He offered, once he'd finished, leaning back in his chair.

Sarah grinned then, sipping at her wine. "As long as it's not peaches, I'd love some."

As Jareth motioned for a servant to bring out the last item, he let out a slow laugh.

* * *

"OK, Steve, why are we here?" Jonathan asked, looking tired and irritated as they sat at a commons table at the city library tucked away in a shady corner, avoiding the heat of the warm windows and the afternoon glare. Nancy remained mute in her chair, staring at the tabletop and not meeting Steve's gaze. "What was so important to interrupt our search? We were going to head to the lab today, see if we could spook some answers from them."

"First off, are you nuts? Do you want to be killed?" Steve gaped, looking between the two. They stubbornly didn't respond. He shook his head in exasperation and tapped at a book. "Nevermind. Don't go there, I don't think you'll get answers about Sarah anyway. Because I found this," he replied, shoving an old anthology book by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in front of them. He taped an entry with his finger. "I don't think Sarah's in the Upside Down."

Jonathan sighed and leaned over, ignoring Steve's enthusiasm. Nancy still would not acknowledge Steve's presence but leaned forward to read the poem. Slowly, they raised their gaze in unison to meet his own. Both appeared annoyed and confused.

"And this is supposed to…?" Jonathan shrugged, throwing his hands up, expecting Steve to enlighten them at any moment.

"It's supposed to explain what happened to Sarah!" Steve whispered fiercely. "And elf king who seduces children? Come on, guys, don't you see it?"

"No, Steve, I really don't…" Jonathan replied with an annoyed tone, watching Nancy out of the corner of his eye. He was worried about her, as she'd drawn further into herself with Sarah's disappearance.

"Come on, guys. This might be our guy. The one that took Sarah. See, I started digging into some folklore and…" He threw up his hands in surrender, reaching over and forcing them back into sitting positions when they started to rise. "Wait a minute and listen to me! Come on, we fought a Demogorgon last year! A real, live, shouldn't-be-real-but-would-kill-you-where-you-stand monster, but you guys won't entertain me on this theory for five minutes? Really?"

They both sat down again with a faint eyeroll but both met his gaze this time and he continued excitedly. "So, I started researching about those tiny gremlin things you guys saw, which are I think goblins or something similar and then I ran across a few poems about elves and fae creatures." Nancy snorted, making Steve blush. "Hey, I can be good at this stuff when I'm motivated, Nancy." She smiled then, perhaps the first time in weeks, and all three leaned forward as Steve continued in a hushed tone. "I took a trip up to Chicago last weekend to a specialty bookstore I found who carried all kinds of weird shit, since what did I have to lose, right? I mean, we've been looking for weeks and haven't found anything, so it couldn't hurt right?" They shrugged and agreed.

"And I managed to find this…" He grinned as he pulled a little familiar red book out of his pocket, handing it over.

Nancy and Jonathan stared at each briefly before leaning forward and reading the title of the book.

_**The Labyrinth.** _

"I think I know what happened to Sarah…" Steve whispered excitedly. Frowning, Nancy and Jonathan reached for the book, beginning to thumb through it's contents.

* * *

The dessert that was served was the best she'd ever had. The crust of the tarte was crunchy like a dried meringue and the inside was warm custard, laced with what appeared to be dates soaked in elvish wine, which was already making Sarah's head buzz slightly from all the wine she'd had previously. Unable to control herself, she let her eyes close in pleasure as she let out a faint moan, spooning a heaping amount in her mouth. Jareth laughed and reached forward, catching her chin with his napkin. As her eyes opened, he grinned faintly at her, the tips of his pointed teeth visible against his lower lip.

"You almost spilled some, precious." He murmured, still leaned forward, gently wiping at her mouth. Her mouth opened again as she smiled in embarrassment and he simply fed her some of the treat from his own spoon this time, pressing it against her lips. Briefly, she colored, but she took the offered bite anyways, letting it linger on her tongue. Her eyes met his and she swallowed slowly, her eyelids lowering slightly as she realized she'd just eaten from a spoon that had touched his mouth.

He must have thought the same as his eyes turned heated once more. They were alone, Jareth having dismissed the servants for the night, as they finished up dessert at the table. She swallowed again, feeling like her skin was on fire with the way he stared at her. "Jareth…" she started, alarm bells going off in her head, only to be cut off as he let out a soft snarl and yanked her into his lap, crushing his lips down on hers.

 _Jesus, it's even better than I thought it would be,_  she briefly found herself thinking before she was drowning in the sensation of his teeth dragging against her lower lip, coaxing her tongue into his mouth. He was relentless in his demands, tilting his head and grasping the back of hers, rough with his ministrations, his mouth moving in quick demanding strokes against her lips. She felt faint, her pulse thready and her womb clenching tightly, her limbs tingling with warmth as she offered no resistance, gasping into his mouth and eventually returning the passionate suggestion.

He tugged her more securely onto his lap, tearing at the skirts of her dress as the design allowed limited movement. Before she realized it, she straddled him and let out a quick moaning gasp as she felt his hardness settle intimately between her legs. Jareth growled in the back of his throat and quickened his kisses, reaching up and tugging at her bodice. Her own fingers skated over his jacket and he savagely leaned into her and shoved it off himself, tossing it aside as his fingers found her hardened nipples through her dress and pinched them delicately between gloved fingers. She moaned softly into his mouth in response, her lips vibrating gently against his as his mouth continued to crush down on hers. Letting out a ragged sigh, his mouth and teeth working their way across her cheeks and down her throat, she felt herself pitch backwards, swept up in the rising sensations. Her hands grasped the back of the chair and, unable to help herself, she gently rocked her hips forward, pressing his erection more deeply against her opening, the friction of clothes making the movement both arousing and torturous.

Jareth let out a low strangled groan against her throat, dropping his hands from plucking at her breasts to grabbing at her hips, raising his own to continue the movement. Sarah moaned this time as his erection rocked against her panties and almost opened her mouth to plead with him to take her to bed.

Only his increased grinding and grasping of her hips, his hands reaching to tear at her panties, made her logical side come screaming back to the forefront.

"Jareth, no..J-Jareth, stop.." She gripped the back of the chair so harshly, her knuckles turned white. She heard him groan as he arched upwards again and again, not yet quite hearing her words. She bit her lip so hard, she tasted blood. "Jareth…" When he didn't respond again, his fingers curling around the edge of her panties and prepared to jerk back, she forced herself to stumble from his lap, falling onto a heap on the floor.

He stared down at her from where he sat, his eyes liquid fire, panting fiercely and his erection straining his trousers in vivid detail.

 _Oh, god…_ She shuddered, her eyes briefly dropping to his erection and Jareth stood in a quick vicious gesture. He glared at her with a mixture of frustration, anger, resentment and hunger. Still, he honored her wish and stopped, disappearing from the room entirely.

Sarah slumped, falling back onto the dining room floor. She let out a soft sob, bringing her hand up to her mouth. He had looked angry but he had honored her wish and stopped. She didn't want her first time being on the floor of the dining room and she still needed to discuss the situation Aboveground before she allowed herself to sleep with him. Eventually, she recovered and stood, noticing his jacket. She wrapped it around herself and walked towards the double doors. Once she opened it, she found the same escort that had led her to the dining room before. Either through politeness or good training, he didn't comment about her destroyed dress, mussed hair, or the fact she was wearing Jareth's jacket, simply taking her back to her rooms where she immediately went into the bathroom and changed into her night shift.

As she dressed for bed, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Hoping he was listening, she said in a fairly loud voice to the mirror. "I am not saying no, Jareth. I am saying not now. There is a difference."

As satisfied as she could be that he'd heard, she turned back the covers and crawled into bed, falling asleep.

* * *

 _Stupid girl! I could have, just a few more moments, a few more kisses. I could have…_ Jareth grimaced as he dropped to his knees in his bedroom, ripping open his pants and grasping himself, letting out an anguished moan as his hand worked his erection in quick efficient strokes. He fell forward, catching his fall on his free hand as his eyes closed and he leaned forward, gritting his teeth as he envisioned what could have been: ripping those delicate panties off her as she moaned and ground down on his cock, the perfume of her arousal coating his fingers as he found her opening, his hands freeing himself, his hips flexing and forcing through her virgin resistance, finally becoming his. He stiffened and let out a sharp bark as the vision made him peak quickly, his hand dragging tightly over his cock as he exploded in loud gasps.

Sated for now but feeling cheated and empty, he sat back on his heels. Still furious, he conjured a crystal, catching her dressing for bed. His cock stirred briefly but his eyes focused on her words.

"I am not saying no, Jareth. I am saying not now. There is a difference."

He grinned slowly. She hadn't rejected him. Letting the crystal go and cleaning himself in one quick gesture, he slowly stood and rearranged his clothing, opening the door to address a servant who stood on the other side. The servant hadn't heard his moment of weakness, as he'd made sure to ward his room eons ago.

"Please make sure to see that Sarah is brought to my study for breakfast. We will dine on the balcony. Make sure to bring the items she's typically used to from the human world."

The servant bowed, prepared to alert the other servants standing outside her quarters down the hall. It amused him that she probably didn't realize how close she was to his own. In the morning, he would be more demanding of his requirement she stay, making sure to pick an area he would get less distracted by her beauty. She had to know she was in danger and couldn't fathom why she cared what happened to those irresponsible mortals who'd persuaded her to summon that creature in the first place. Considering they'd directly led her to harm, he considered it a small miracle he hadn't given into the urge to kill them that night.

Either way, their remembrance of him would be enough punishment. He laughed faintly, envisioning their torment of being the only ones to know of Sarah. Normally, he didn't give into such petty emotions, but then they had hurt the most precious thing to him and he couldn't resist. He'd only stopped at physical torture for her sake.

"Tomorrow, precious," he murmured, still too restless to sleep. Walking towards the curtains and throwing open his windows, he took flight into the evening, gliding among the stars and taking a few turns around Sarah's window, watching her sleep.


	12. The In-Between

Without Jareth’s assistance, Sarah found her sleep slightly restless. Too ashamed to call on him and ask for his assistance, given the way she’d left him, she did her best to sleep on her own but without much success. Waking several times over the past few hours, she finally sighed fitfully and rubbed at her eyes, throwing a pillow over her head in an effort to keep the light out of her eyes.

 _Light?_ She stilled, swallowing faintly as fear tore at her senses, causing her pulse to rise to a dull roar in her ears. Laying quietly, she let her other senses take over, listening intently for anything out of the ordinary or feeling the bed move.

Nothing.

So where was the light coming from? She hadn’t asked for the fireplace to be lit before she slept and it wasn’t morning. Finally, more afraid to remain still than move, she sat up sharply and tossed the pillow away, raising her fists to defend herself. Again, nothing. Blinking at the immediate light, she realized most of the light came from the reflection off the white sheets of the bed from whatever the light source was. Raising her gaze, she moaned faintly in dismay as she realized her bed was all she could see, only the blackness visible past it, the same blackness from before when she’d met the little girl and heard the monster in the distance.

Scrambling up and off the bed, Sarah let out a small yelp as her feet sank ankle deep in the same strange warm water from before. No longer in the safe confines of the bed, Sarah briskly shuddered against the immediate cold, feeling her skin pebble against the frigid temperature. Grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around the loose white sleeping shift she wore, she tried to warm her limbs but still felt nothing but searing cold.

“Hello?” She called out, stilling faintly as she hears nothing but her own echoes in the blackness return to her. Frightened, confused and shivering, she turns back to the bed, hoping it’s just a nightmare she can sleep away but stops and lets out a small whimper as the bed is gone, leaving her standing with no protection.

Turning frantically, she realized she was alone in the blackness.

“Jareth? Jareth, I’m scared.”

 

* * *

 

 

It seemed like hours, but finally he had managed to sleep, sprawled in the large dark structure of his bed, one arm cast over his eyes. His body was at ease but his mind, even in sleep, remained preoccupied. Over and over in his dreams, he’d see his heart’s desire before him with a radiant smile and her shining black hair. As he’d reach for her, a shadow would cast itself over her and her smile would fade into a silent scream. Frantic, he tried to reach for her. When he’d rush to where she was, she would be gone. Over and over, it played, eventually stirring him from sleep. Sitting up slowly, he frowned and scrubbed at his face, feeling oddly tense.

Standing and stretching, his nude form glistening from the sweat that had coated him during his dreams, Jareth reached for a robe and entered his bathing room, pouring a pitcher of washing water into a basin and wiping at his brow. He’d watched her earlier from where he flew, noticing her troubled sleep after several minutes, silently cursing his insatiable libido for interfering with his ability to offer her a dreamless sleep once more. She had been very ill and most likely was suffering but he’d been too cowardly to approach her after his behavior from earlier, afraid she’d push him away after the way he’d treated her with his harsh departure from dinner. It pained him that a mere mortal woman had such power over him, but he couldn’t bear to see that look in her eyes, even if it was slightly warranted and her call to him had soothed some of his fears.

Wiping at his face with a soft washcloth, he turned to head back to bed when he heard it. It was faint, even his senses scarcely able to register the words before he tensed, eyes narrowing and focused on the sound.

_“Jareth? Jareth, I’m scared.”_

It hovered in the air a moment then dissipated. Immediately, he tensed and pulled his legs into a pair of trousers. Not bothering with a shirt or shoes, he simply fastened the loose robe around his waist and strode to the double doors of his bedroom, flinging them open.

“Where is Sarah?”

The male servants standing outside his door looked startled and quickly stood stiffly upright from where they’d been casually leaning against the wall, lost in thought. They cast each other a slight glance then glanced back at him.

“She is in the Queen’s quarters sleeping, my King.”

Jareth had already started towards the Queen’s quarters at the end of the hall as they replied, rousing the other two female servants there into similar positions as he neared. Each curtsied slightly, casting their gaze to the floor. “My king,” they replied softly in unison.

“Sarah?” Jareth ignored them and called loudly from the door, knocking. Frowning, he realized how he must appear to the servants and flicked his gaze back to the four of them, who’d gathered with him at Sarah’s door. He motioned the servants away and they all bowed, quickly leaving the hall with him standing alone in the darkened corridor.

“Sarah, love, it’s Jareth. Are you alright?” He asked, once the hallway was empty. Hearing no response, he closed his eyes and laid a hand on the door. There, inside, he could feel that odd change in the air, condensed in her room.

Unfiltered rage permeated his senses as he grabbed hold of the door and ripped it open, the hinges letting out a startled squeal at the sharp pull. _How **dare** it attempt to take her again, _ his thoughts hissed, as he marched in the room, the doors swinging shut behind him. _I will destroy it with my bare hands if it harms her!_ He saw Sarah asleep on the bed but her features were troubled and her body tossing restlessly. Trying to locate the source of the odd magic in the air, his eyes flickered to the mirrors and noticed that they were all solid black.

Immediately, it made sense, as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. The Labyrinth, in its final gift to her, had given Sarah permission to call across realms to talk to her friends. He had overlooked its connection to the shadows but witnessing this cemented his theory as to the attraction it had to Sarah. She was mortal, mostly defenseless, but she possessed an untrained power to see through dimensions due to her bond with the Labyrinth and the Underground. He felt the shadow’s hunger and immediately bristled, wanting nothing more than to obliterate it to the ether but afraid for Sarah while she was connected to the other plane.

Jareth turned and warded her doors shut, quietly approaching the bed and tossing his robe aside as he slipped into bed beside her. He reached for her, pulling her sleeping form against him, gently resting her head against his chest.

“I’m here, Sarah,” he murmured softly against her brow, resting his chin against the crown of her head. He closed his eyes and he pulled the blankets over them, feeling her limbs shivering violently against him.

“Show me where you are, love.”

 

* * *

 

 

_“I’m here, Sarah. Show me where you are, love.”_

Sarah sobbed faintly and forced her limbs to start moving, the water sloshing about her ankles, searching frantically for the source of his voice, barely a ghost of a whisper against her ear. “Jareth? You can hear me? Oh God, Jareth…” She hiccupped faintly as tears freely slid down her cheeks, feeling faint from the relief that flooded her senses. He was trying to find her! She needed to move!

Taking a tentative step forward, she heard a voice to her left.

“Hello again.”

Sarah stopped, frowning and wiping at her eyes, realizing she recognized the familiar voice. It wasn’t Jareth, but it wasn’t hostile. She turned slowly, seeing the little girl standing near her in a black top, dirty blue jeans and her once clean curly hair slicked back against her head, dark kohl lining her eyes.

“You again,” she whispered. The girl smiled back at her, taking a step towards her. Sarah tensed but did not back away. “Who are you?”

“Jane,” the girl replied. “You are lost. How did you get here?”

“I was trying to sleep…” She replied, looking around. “Where are we? Is the monster here again?” She shivered, drawing the blanket tighter around herself.

“No, not yet. But it searches for you. Like he does.” The girl replied, tilting her head to the side. “Now it’s simply a matter of which one finds you first. But I have found you, so I will wait with you and make sure you’re safe.”

“How are you here?” Sarah asked, frowning, still trying to make sense of the girl. “Are you human?”

“This place and I are connected. I am human. I can show you.” She held a hand out to Sarah. Seeing as she didn’t have much to lose and the girl had already protected her once, Sarah took her hand.

Jane turned then, pointing in the distance. Sarah lifted her gaze and watched as figures came alive in the distance. There was a group of grungy teenagers and adults, gathered around a scarred table, playing cards and laughing and drinking. As she stared, she saw other scenes come alive in the distance.

“Wait….Nancy? Jon? Steve?” Sarah started forward, her body jerking in surprise as she saw the three of them sitting at a commons table at a library, holding a very familiar book. “Oh no,” she moaned, seeing the red coloring of the binding and the bold lettering across the front.

“I think I know what happened to Sarah,” She heard Steve whisper excitedly to the others as Nancy and Jonathan thumbed through the book.

“You know them?” Jane asked, frowning. Sarah looked back at her.

“Yes, they’re probably worried sick. I’m not home right now, but why they’d find the book and figure where I am, I’ve no idea…” She began, glancing back at them with a frown. Her eyes lingered on the book and she realized, terrified, if they read the book and realized how to wish for Jareth, they could be trapped in the Labyrinth with no runner to protect them. They didn’t realize what was at stake.

“They were trying to help,” She explained to Jane, who looked at her curiously. “A monster had tried to come through a mirror and take me. It’s…hard to explain…it almost…”

“You have power,” the girl replied, staring at her intensely. “It wants you, for this power. You can’t let it have it.”

“What power? What are you talking about? How do you know about the monster?” Sarah asked, confused.

“I opened the gate,” she said sadly. “I showed it the way in.”

Still confused, Sarah opened her mouth to ask more questions when she heard Jareth’s voice again. She blinked, turning around, still not seeing him. She let her gaze trail back to where Jane was, realizing she was gone. She immediately became frightened and started to run.

“Jareth!? Jane?! Where are you?!”

“Sarah?” She whirled around, finding Jareth staring at her from a few feet away, his gaze distressed. He wore a simple pair of white trousers and his ever-present pendant hung from his chest, but nothing else. She launched herself into his arms and he crushed her against him, cradling her head against his chest.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” he began, soothing her muffled sobs as he rubbed his hands against her back.

“I didn’t know what was going on, Jareth. I don’t even know where this place is…or how I get here…the girl, she was telling me it was…”

“What girl?” She felt Jareth tense against her, his voice taking on a hard edge. She leaned back and gently cupped his cheek with her hand. She smiled faintly as his gaze lowered to hers.

“She protected me. Her name is Jane. She’s human like me and...I think she might be from Hawkins and why all this is happening with the monster.”

Jareth frowned but tensed once more as he seemed to hear something in the distance. “Grab ahold of me,” he ordered in a harsh voice. Sarah complied immediately, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. _The monster, it’s found us._ He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him and she felt a faint breeze, the coldness of the air changing and the warm wetness of the water at her feet leaving.

She waited for several moments, her pulse pounding in her ears, still wrapped tightly against Jareth, before she finally opened her eyes. They were once more in her room, curled tightly against one another in the bed with the sheets tugged tightly around them. She immediately relaxed, burying her head in Jareth’s chest, exhaustion tugging at her eyes.

“Don’t go,” she pleaded on a whisper. He held her close, stroking her back as she sprawled half across his chest.

“You will never sleep alone again.” he murmured against her hair. “Now sleep, love.” She felt him conjure a crystal and lay it against her head. Almost instantaneously, she fell into a dreamless sleep, feeling safe.

Little did she know that Jareth remained diligent throughout the night, staring mutely into the mirror across the room as he held her in his arms, watching it reflect the moonlight with a darkened expression.


	13. Deal with the Devil

The phone hung from Joyce Byer’s ear like a newly attached appendage, rarely leaving the crook of her neck where she wedged the headset against her head as she stared down the hallway towards Will’s room in worry. Biting her fingernails to short nubs, she waited, finger on the receiver, willing the phone to let loose a shrill noise. As if to spite her, nothing came from the phone. Tapping her foot nervously on the old linoleum floor, she listened to the clock in the living room.

_Tick, tick, tick._

Eventually, she felt like the wait and the endless ticking of the clock would drive her insane and groaned, letting out a low whispered string of profanities. For about the fifth time that morning, she waited for about thirty minutes before growing impatient and punching in a series of digits she’d long since memorized.

“Hello? Florence? Is Hopper in yet? I really need to speak to him. Please tell me he’s in the office now?”

The other end of the phone let out a short sigh. “I’m sorry, Joyce, he’s just not in yet. Might still be investigating Eugene’s place. Something about a contaminant. Sorry. I can have him call you when he’s in?”

She grit her teeth but refused to curse out the station secretary, no matter how much she wanted to. “Fine, have him call me _the instant he’s in the office._ Promise me, Florence. This is important.”

She could tell by the secretary’s pregnant pause she was annoyed. “I told you that I would the last four times you called, Joyce. Now you sure I can’t send another deputy out? We got the boys here. Powell or Callahan are free as birds and could help you out.”

“No, absolutely not. It has to be Hopper.”

Florence once again sighed and her voice grew snappy. “Then I suggest you wait til Hopper calls, Joyce. I’m not his mother.”

“Thanks, Florence.” She hung up the phone before she could hear the secretary’s reply, slamming the receiver down and cursing loudly. _Where the hell are you, Hopper?_

As she hung up the phone, a knock started at the door. Pushing from the wall like a springboard, she bolted across the living room and yanked open the door, excepting to see Jim on the other side. Joyce paused, startled to see Mike Wheeler standing on the porch hesitantly.

“Hey, Miss Byers. Is Will home?”

Joyce froze, then plastered a forced smile on her face. “Oh, hello Mike. Um, yes. Will is home. He’s not feeling well, though, so perhaps now isn’t a good time…”

Mike’s face immediately shifted to worry. “Is it the shadow monster?”

Joyce blinked several times, almost not sure she heard the boy correctly. Had Will told Mike about the dreams? Or were they even dreams? She couldn’t say one way or another now, not after watching the Halloween tape and talking to Will before he took a turn for the worst that morning.

Mike seemed to sense her hesitation. “We’re best friends, Miss Byers. Will told me about the Shadow Monster when I cornered him. I could tell he was acting odd. It got him that day in the field, didn’t it?”

She stifled a sob and nodded, motioning him inside.

“I think so. Right now, I don’t know what to do. He should be freezing, he’s sitting in his room with only pajama pants on, in fifty-degree weather, but he’s burning up. And he’s been scribbling something all afternoon. I can’t make heads or tails of it. I’ll warn you, it’s kind of a shock. But maybe, could you try talking to him? You’re so close…maybe he’ll listen to you.”

Joyce felt awful pushing so much on Mike, but she was desperate. Jim wouldn’t return her calls and Will was getting worse. She was afraid to take him to the lab, where they might take him away from her. She hoped Mike could talk to Will and snap him out of whatever physiological trauma he was going through.

“Of course, Miss Byers. I’ll go see him now.” Mike offered her what she assumed to be a reassuring smile. Sadly, it did little to lift her mood, but she returned it anyway.

Joyce drew up a kitchen chair by the phone and settled into it. She pointed and shrugged as Mike took a look around the room, noticing several hastily drawn papers already littering the living room floor. “I’m waiting on Hopper to call me back.”

Mike nodded and walked down the hallway, swallowing briefly before he turned the doorknob to Will’s room and opened the door. Immediately, he felt the chill of the room and tugged his coat tighter around his torso.

“Will?”

Will sat at his desk, facing away from the door, drawing furiously in fast scribbles. Entranced, he didn’t respond to Mike’s approach, continuing to draw until his crayon broke. When it did, he’d simply reach for another. He’d finish one rapidly, then start again, slightly varying the colors as he went along. Frowning, Mike reached down, trying to understand what he was drawing. Knitting his brows together in confusion, he heard Joyce approach from behind him. Turning to look at her, he handed her a fistful of papers then turned to watch Will who seemed unresponsive.

“Why is he drawing castles and mazes? These don’t look like the others in the living room.”

“I was hoping you’d know…” She asked the boy, both turning to stare at each other in confusion.

 

* * *

 

 

Slowly, Sarah stirred awake, turning slightly and brushing her hand lightly across Jareth’s chest, feeling his torso rise and fall rhythmically, letting her know he hadn’t yet woken. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at his face, enjoying the moment’s unfiltered inspection, noticing that sleep eased the lines around his mouth, brow and lips. She noticed that while his eyebrows maintained that odd arch, the exaggerated coloring wasn’t present. Her lips twitched, making her realize he wore makeup. Perhaps it was a sign of his station? Pondering the oddities of fae, she once again let her eyes roam across his face, feeling her heart tug briefly as she did so. He seemed somehow more boyish and slightly vulnerable in sleep. She swallowed back a torrent of emotion, thinking back over the past day and how his arms still maintained a slight grip on her, keeping her close.  Faint hints of dark circles were visible under his eyes, in stark contrast to his pale cheekbones, making her realize he must have stood guard after she’d fallen asleep last night.

She sighed softly and closed her eyes against the sudden sting of unshed tears, letting her fingers drift back to his waist. _I’m in love with him,_ she realized. _Fuck._ Sarah felt a mixture of elation and dismay with the realization of this new emotion when it came to Jareth. She knew she’d been attracted, perhaps a little captivated, by his domineering personality and handsomeness. Her feelings had begun to change, however, with the recent ways in which he demonstrated his determination to keep her safe and how he insisted she was beautiful with both word and actions. Still, the fact remained that they were of two worlds. His was very, very different than hers. He’d already explained most fae did not feel emotions on the same level as humans. What did this mean for her? Could she love someone who might not be able to love her, the way she knew love, in return? Deciding for the moment to ignore her inner turmoil, she simply tugged herself closer to him, resting her cheek squarely against his chest.

She felt his right hand gently reach up as his body stirred, cupping the back of her head gently. “Sarah?” He murmured, his voice husky from sleep.

“Yes?” She whispered, her voice slightly choked. He turned her gently so he could pull her up against him, his chest pressing into her back as he rested his chin against her shoulder. She let her hands fall from his waist to grasp his forearms as his hands snuck around her hips, pulling her close.

He stilled at the emotion in her voice, reaching up with one hand and feeling a few of the tears that had escaped from her lashes and fallen against her cheeks. _Damn,_ she thought. _I didn’t want him catching me crying. He will worry why and that’s not something I’m comfortable talking about yet._

“Did you have a bad dream again?” He murmured in concern, frowning against her shoulder, lifting his head to push her dark hair away from her neck and kiss the scars on her shoulder gently. She shook her head and he gently turned her to look at him, a small frown tugging at his mouth.

She offered him a faint smile and, hoping he wouldn’t see through her false sense of calm, did her best attempt at evading the truth. “No, no dreams.” He seemed unconvinced but didn’t push her for answers, instead reaching up and lightly tracing her face with his fingers. His uneven gaze stared at her with such intensity, she wanted to ask what he was thinking but was afraid to. Watching the way his eyes roamed across her face, his gaze suffused with some foreign emotion, Sarah did her best not to blush. She wanted desperately to ask him what he was thinking, what he was feeling – if he could feel like she could – but she wasn’t sure she’d like the answer, so she remained quiet. Was it love? Lust?  Simple male possessiveness? Every time she thought she understood him, Jareth would surprise her and do the exact opposite. She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes.

He didn’t seem willing to talk either, continuing to gently trace her face with his fingers. Eventually, he simply cradled her to his chest. They stayed like that for almost an hour, not wanting to interrupt the peaceful interlude. Slowly, her thoughts turned back to what she witnessed before: The vines, the breeding demogorgons, the book.

“You know we have to go back, Jareth. This thing isn’t going to stop. We need to find the source in the Aboveground and stop whatever this is…” She whispered faintly against his chest. He immediately stiffened, his arms tightening around her.

“ _Absolutely not_ ,” he growled in a low steady voice. Sarah blinked, shocked at his curt reply, trying to sit up and convince him rationally why they had to return. “Jareth, this goes beyond you and m – “

“ ** _No!_** ” he almost shouted, twisting and pinning her underneath him, his nose scant inches from hers. His eyes that were earlier so tender now like chips of frozen ice as his body pressed hers into the mattress, overpowering her and gripping her shoulders, shaking her slightly with a restrained rage. His tone was sharp but slightly hoarse as he shook her, his mouth pulled back away from his teeth, all but snarling at her. “You wished yourself to me. You are _mine_ , Sarah. **_Mine!_** I will not lose you. Not again, not _ever_ …”

He must have seen the shock and uneasiness in her jade eyes because almost as quickly as his burst of possessive fury happened, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers, letting his grip ease on her shoulders. She tried to reach up and touch his face and he tensed, gripping her forearms painfully for a moment, but when he realized she was not going to flee or shove him off her, released his iron grip. She immediately threaded her fingers through his hair, trying her best to calm him, feeling her efforts succeed in the way he nuzzled her face with his nose and feeling the rigidness of his frame soften against hers.

She was nervous at his words of her wishing him to her, wanting to argue that her wish did not include him keeping her locked away in the Underground, but as she processed that she belonged to him, she remembered that the alternative she would have faced could have been far worse if the monster had succeeded in dragging her to the Upside Down or killing her. She decided to process the ramifications of her wish later, when things were simpler for the both of them.

As he calmed and reached for her again, his hands traveling up her arms to brush against her hair, she decided to try another tactic, remembering some of the visions she’d seen in the blackness from before. She still couldn’t let her friends suffer or let the issue drop, not when it was in her capacity to try and help.

“Jareth, why do they remember who I am? I thought when someone was lost to the Labyrinth, their existence is wiped from record. Why do they remember me?” She asked softly, remembering how Steve and the others were digging through the book, looking for clues. Clues, she was afraid, they’d find. She felt him stir, lifting his head and meeting her gaze with another unapologetic icy one, but his iron grip did not return.

“They summoned that abominable creature and caused you harm. Consider their remembrance a gesture of my _generosity_.” He growled, his lips twisting with his cold reply. “I could have done much worse, precious. Like strangle them with my bare hands or breaking every bone for causing you harm…”

Sarah stilled, studying his face, realizing he meant every word. Shuddering faintly, remembering the vision of the merciless Goblin King she’d seen the day he’d rescued her, she feared what he might do if they read the book and wished themselves here, since he was already enraged at what had happened in the locker room.

“They remember me…and you. And they found the book, Jareth. You know what that means.” She murmured softly, trying to reason with him, continuing to comb her fingers softly through his hair. “Please…don’t let that happen…”

He closed his eyes against her ministrations but bared his teeth in a small vicious smile. “A true pity, that. It is not my concern, precious. Unlike you, I will not be so merciful when they come to my realm.”

“Jareth! You can’t! They didn’t know what they were doing, they were trying to protect me! _I_ didn’t know what they were doing! It’s as much my fault as theirs! They wouldn’t have a runner to protect them. They’d be all alone and trapped here. They can’t be allowed to wish for you. We need to warn them and help deal with the darkness.” Sarah briefly jerked under him, upset with his callousness towards her friends. His eyes snapped open to meet hers, glittering darkly. For a brief moment, he looked like he was going to pin her down again but held himself back.

“I _can and I will,_ precious.” His response was clipped and finite.

Feeling her anger rise at his nonchalant attitude regarding her friends, Sarah struggled out from under his grasp, quickly putting some distance between them and sitting up in the bed. He smirked, rolling onto his side to stare amusedly at her and it irritated her further to know she’d only wiggled out of his grasp because he allowed it. She almost knew for certain if she’d tried to leave the bed, one of his arms would shook out like a hook and drag her back against him. She bit her lip to ignore the flood of butterflies that teased her stomach at the idea, disgusted with her hormonal response when they were discussing the future wellbeing of her friends.

“Why ever not, dearest? It’s in the rules, after all. Do you forget what my title encompasses? I am the Goblin King. Pity for them, if they don’t read the book carefully. I do need some replacements in the mines, with your friends having served their sentence and all.” He grinned faintly, watching her color and temper rise in tandem.

Sarah glared at him, balling her hands into fists, itching to slap the arrogant smirk off his face. He sat up suddenly, scooting close to her, his blue eyes meeting her own, glowing with the spark of challenge. _The son of a bitch wants me to try and hit him,_ she thought with outrage. _If I could slap that grin off his face, it would almost be worth the punishment._ Jareth’s gaze grew even more heated as he lowered his gaze to her fists, catching his bottom lip with sharp teeth as his nostrils flared, waiting for her to decide. Sarah blinked, realizing he was getting aroused in the way his eyes roamed over her figure and his own body seemed to tense, waiting to strike. Not ready yet for that next step, despite how tempting it was to see if she’d succeed in slapping him before he grabbed her, she forced her fingers to relax at her sides, splaying them gently against the mattress as she turned her face away.

She sensed his immediate disappointment as he let out a slow exhale. She didn’t have the courage to look back at him but spat her next words, still feeling the lingering anger at his apathy.

“That’s not going to solve the problem Aboveground in any event. And I will never forgive you if you do that to my friends out of sheer spite. You didn’t do it to Hoggle and the others, so why them? They did things easily just as bad, in the eyes of your kingdom.” She hissed faintly, throwing his own actions in his face from the last group of friends she had that went against him, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to glare at him.

“Why them?” He laughed faintly, shaking his head, but his gaze immediately darkened. “You think that the others came close to killing you? Hardly! Those foolish mortals endangered your _life,_ precious. That is a far worse crime than simply destroying parts of the Labyrinth and the Goblin City. Your _life_ is not repairable, Sarah. If you had died….” He growled, truly angry now, raising up on his forearms and haunches as he edged closer to her, his eyes glowing with suppressed fury as he sneered at her.

Sarah blinked, trying to jump off the bed, his arms shooting around her and dragging her back up against him, tugging on her hair to ensure her eyes meet his fixed stare. His voice took on a sharp edge, dropping an octave as he pressed her to him. “Are you sweet on the boy? Is that the cause of your sudden concern?” He hissed softly, tracing her lips with his finger. “Has he tasted these like I have? What was his name, again? _Steve?”_ Jareth growled and then let out a softly mocking laugh, the sound dark. “He couldn’t even fight the monster for you. He was unconscious after one round. Don’t forget who saved you, _precious thing_. Is that what you desire, _dearest_? This _Steve?_ ”

“What? No!” Sarah stilled, dumfounded. _Wait, is he….jealous?_ She swallowed and tried to shove him away as his mouth lowered, nuzzling at her jawline and eventually nipping at her earlobe roughly. She felt a traitorous moan escape and he smiled against her neck, reaching up and turning her head towards him, his mouth inches from hers. She swallowed again, this time not out of shock, feeling her breasts tingle from the hot way his uneven eyes pinned her in place.

“Then _do tell,_ dearest. What is it you desire?” Jareth let his gaze drop from her eyes to her mouth and lower still. She gulped and eventually, painfully, shoved at his chest before he could draw his fingers down from her face. She wasn’t rough, but it caused him to lean back with a grin, tugging her down with him as he tucked her against his side, seemingly dropping the seductive act and pressing a chaste kiss against her hair. Sarah stiffened but didn’t struggle as he curled against her like they had earlier before their arguing escalated.

“I thought so,” he murmured smugly in her ear. Sarah inwardly seethed but ignored his words, knowing that he already knew how his charms affected her without having to verbally reassure him. Still, she wouldn’t let the subject drop, trying one more with a reasonable tone.

“I just don’t want them paying too high a price when their hearts were in the right place, Jareth. Please.” She sighed, hearing nothing from him, continuing to push that they return. “Besides, we still need to go Aboveground. The darkness, it’s coming from there. It won’t stop, it might even spread. It’s already interfered with your magic and made it where I couldn’t call on Hoggle and the others and you know it. Jane has already warned me that it knows about me. How long until it tries to find me here? Wouldn’t it be better to go Aboveground than risk the Underground being exposed?”

Jareth tensed against her and she knew that he wasn’t pleased that she’d pieced together so much. She felt an immediate flare of anger, knowing he’d been keeping things from her, but quickly let it go. She needed his cooperation in this. She tried to twist to see his face but he held his grip, not letting her move.

“How do you know this? Who is Jane?” He rumbled against her side, tightening his grip when she squirmed against him. “Talk to me and stop that, or else you’ll get an entirely different side of me you’re not ready for, your little tantrum earlier already has my control wearing thin...” He warned softly, pressing his hips into her to demonstrate what her efforts were doing to him. She immediately stilled and he seemed amused as he tucked his chin back on her shoulder and chuckled at her response, waiting for her to continue.

“I see it in the other place. Not in the Upside Down, in the….In-Between, that’s what I’ve started to call it. It’s part of the Aboveground, but also isn’t. I can’t really describe it.” Sarah started, closing her eyes and doing her best to imagine what it was like there when she visited it. “It’s very cold, but also not. That’s where Jane is, when I end up there. It’s like she knows how to access it, too. But unlike me, she seems to be able to freely travel there. When I end up there, it’s like I don’t know how I did it. When I was there, I saw…things. Hawkins, the monster, her, more creatures, vines, darkness...”

“You know for certain it could come here?” He murmured in her ear. She shook her head faintly. “Then I don’t care. I will not risk you, precious. Not for them, not for your family, not for anything.”

Sarah jerked against him, appalled. He tightened his grip but not in an ireful way, brushing her hair away from her neck once more as he sighed and held her rigid form against his. Several minutes passed with neither of them saying anything.

“Is staying with me so bad?” He eventually whispered, breaking the silence. She could hear the vulnerability lurking under his tone and it made her soften against him and reach down to grasp his hand in hers, wanting to comfort him.

“No, not bad.” She whispered softly. “Maybe even a little fantastic.” She let herself admit, feeling him tense against her for a moment. “But I couldn’t live with myself if I don’t try to help them, Jareth. I would grow to hate myself…and you…for keeping me here when I could have done something.”

He sighed faintly against her back, curling his fingers through hers at her words. “I forgot that your will is strong as mine, precious.” He nuzzled her ear, kissing against the outer shell softly, making her shiver at the sensation. “I can’t let you go unprotected, if something were to happen to you….” His hands flexed against her hips as his grip tightened. “And yet, I cannot refuse you. We are at an impasse, unless you can agree to certain terms.”

“So name the terms…” She twisted gently in his grasp to see his face, looking up into his eyes.

He looked down at her, his eyes once again soft and filled with that strong foreign emotion. His fingers reached up and stroked her cheeks with the back of his fingers. “Bond with me.”

“Bond? What do you mean bond?” She frowned, confused, not expecting that reply. “Wait…like marry you?” She blinked, her voice wavering into a hesitant question edged with nervousness.

“It’s a little more involved than that, pet, but yes. Marry me. I will permit you to travel Aboveground, with me, if you agree to marry me.”

“I….” _Fuck! What? Marriage? Now?_ Sarah couldn’t form words, her eyes widening to the size of half dollars in her head, mouth slightly agape. “I…I…there are no other terms we can agree on?”

“No,” Jareth replied, his eyes still soft but glinting with that determination she knew so well.

Sarah shifted weakly in his arms, dropping her gaze. “May I add my own stipulations to this contract?” She asked after a moment, struggling with his demand. Jareth frowned but nodded.

“One, if before we go Aboveground and my friends wish themselves here to find me, you will not let them run the Labyrinth.” His eyes narrowed but he said nothing, so she continued. “Two, I get to see my family once more before I return here.” She watched him for a moment, noticing he didn’t object.

“Continue, precious…”

Sarah sucked in her breath, bracing herself for the last counteroffer demand to his initial proposal. “I get to say when we have sex for the first time. While on paper we might be married, I want this issue Aboveground solved first.” Immediately, she shrank back, waiting for his reaction.

He stiffened, his eyes narrowing and blazing with fury all at once. Expecting him to immediately object, Sarah watched with suspicion as he instead began to slowly smile, tugging her back against him.

“I agree.” He whispered, a slow grin forming on his lips as his eyes blazed again with a queer light. “Oh, precious, I’ve been waiting so long for this…” He murmured, kissing her fingers gently and then placing her hand against the pendant hanging from his chest.

As soon as her hand touched the pendant, it flashed brightly and Sarah felt a sharp burning pain in her palm. She let out an immediate scream but found she couldn’t tug her hand away, his grip was too strong. Jareth closed his eyes, murmuring something in a language she couldn’t understand, and Sarah struggled against him and shrieked as the burning sharpened exponentially, making her she wondered wildly what was happening, but the excruciating pain too strong for her to form words.

In her mind, she screamed wildly with panic. _Why do I have a feeling I just agreed to a deal with the devil?_

* * *

 

 

“What’s going on? What was so important that made me have to cancel plans with my wife?”

The technician hovering over the dials looked up from his coffee, nearly spilling it in the process as he staggered to a quick stand as Dr. Owens entered the room, looking rather irritable.

“Sir! Sorry, sir. I thought they’d call you in earlier. My apologies to the missus.” At Dr. Owen’s impatient stare, the technician shoved his coffee away and pointed at the gate that was currently being cleansed by blow torch from another technician on the other side of the glass partition.

“Sir, we looked into what Sheriff Hopper sent over and it appears that the pumpkin fields and the gate are…related. We took some sonar samples after the dirt analysis results and…well, just see for yourself.”

Dr. Owens grabbed the offered papers out of the technician’s hands and quickly read through them. He swayed a moment, looking pale, before sharply glancing back up at the technician.

“Are you sure these are correct?”

The technician nodded, lowering his gaze. “Yes, sir. We’ve ordered an excavation of the floor at 0-500 hours, sir.”

“My god,” Dr. Owens murmured, slumping against the door. He eventually snapped to, glancing at the technician sharply. “I want to be informed of every detail, no matter how small. I will be in my office.”

The technician nodded. “I’ll phone in your orders, Sir.”

Dr. Owens nodded faintly, wiping a hand over his face that suddenly seemed haggard and tired. He turned and exited, following the corridors to his office. Looking over the paper again, he muttered a string of harsh words and picked up the phone, punching in his desired numbers.

“Chief Hopper? I think you need to come to the lab. Those fields….according to our sonor samples, are riddled with tunnels leading back to the lab. We’re starting a preliminary dig in the morning. I…I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”

Nodding at the Chief’s reply, he hung up the phone and sank into his chair, covering his face with his hands. “Dear god, let the readings be wrong…”


	14. Queen for a Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lengthy chapter but I didn't want to break it up into several little ones. Enjoy! As always, this is an M rated fic, so be prepared for some explicit scenes. Oral and fondling to ensue.

Sarah blinked slowly, her head swimming with dizziness as the light from the balcony briefly blinded her. She groaned faintly at the sudden flare of nausea and the beginnings of a headache, reaching to shield her eyes when she felt Jareth’s fingers gently rub across her browbone and a tingling sensation removed the immediate discomfort. Frowning, she opened her eyes and stared into the predatorial gleam of his smile as he held her to him in the bed they still shared.

“Welcome back, precious. How are you feeling?”

“What…” Sarah began, sitting up slowly in confusion as she tried to remember the last several minutes. Her eyes caught sight of something gleaming faintly in the center of her hand and gasped, jolting upright as she stared at a Celtic design seared into her palm. It was white and cool to the touch but otherwise harmless. She felt her heart race as she suddenly realized the design resembled the pattern of the pendant around his neck. As she stared, it began to dissipate until nothing remained. Still, she had a niggling sensation that the brand was more permanent than it let on.

“What was that?” Eventually finding her voice, Sarah shot her wide-eyed gaze to Jareth who smiled again, leaning forward to catch her mouth with his in a brief kiss, taking advantage of her shocked state. She jerked back, wanting answers, and he settled with nuzzling her hair with his cheek, fingers curling against her waist to keep her close.

“That, precious, is our bond fading. It was only tangible for a few moments. You briefly lost consciousness and I apologize for that. It’s a rather overwhelming experience for mortals, at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

Sarah felt her breath quicken as the pit of her stomach fell. Her hand that once held the mark began to tremble so she balled it into a fist, staring up at the canopy of the bed, trying her best to keep her panic at bay. Jareth seemed to not notice her dismay or simply chose to ignore it, continuing to caress her hair and waist with his face and hands.

“What kind of bond, Jareth?” Sarah did her best to keep her voice modulated but failed, anxiety bleeding through her question, leaving it sounding high-pitched and frantic.

“One that binds your life to mine, your magic to mine, your body to mine. You are _mine_ now, precious, _completely_.” He purred softly in her ear, tugging her close and beginning to rub his palms across her back, nipping at her neck. Sarah stiffened in his grip as she heard his words, alarm bells sounding in her head. “Once you’re sufficiently recovered, since you honored your part of the agreement, we shall see to these issues Aboveground. Say, tomorrow morning?”

Sarah said nothing in response, feeling his hands roam briefly over her figure. While her body responded, her mind revolted.  _What have I done?_ She thought with panic. While her mind whirled with the implications over what just took place, she felt him pull back and the grip of his fingers tugging her chin towards his face. He frowned as her face must have shifted between panic at her poor bargaining skills and immediate rage at his arrogance for taking advantage of her so ruthlessly. Briefly, she saw a ripple of unease in his eyes before it was replaced with an equal glint of challenge.

“Is there a problem, love?” He replied coolly, his arms tightening around her like a vice.

“You didn’t even ask me before you bonded us. Now I am bonded to you in ways I can’t even comprehend or understand for, given your current track record, most likely eternity. You just said ‘mine’ about five times in the same sentence. Gee, Jareth, any idea why I’d be a little angry?” Sarah felt her hands ball into fists again and she tried to tug herself out of his grasp but his tightened grip made it impossible. She grit her teeth and glared daggers at him and began to pant with her effort to get out of his grasp. “Let. Me. Go.”

“No,” he replied succinctly, nuzzling her chin with his mouth. She went rigid and he briefly let his grip tighten and his eyes sparked with the same level of fury she felt until she relaxed slightly. He smiled, even if the warmth of the gesture didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Not until you’ve calmed down and we’ve discussed these childish claims of yours.”

“Childish?!” She almost shouted, glaring at him and struggling again under renewed rage.

“Yes, precious. Childish.” He glared, his iron grip returning as his body shifted to press hers into the soft bedding. “We just managed to get through one of your tantrums. While I remember you were fond of them even at a young age, they’re getting tiresome. Don’t disgrace yourself with these antics. Stop that and come join me for a bath. I will explain all the implications of our bond in further detail _later_ , pet.”

“You took away all my choices, Jareth! You just acted like I’m your property! And now you want me to _bathe_ with you?” Sarah stared at him, appalled.

His gaze darkened as his grip on her chin tightened. “You _agreed,_ Sarah, when you made your counter offer. _Don’t forget that important little part of our lovely contract._ I do not adhere to a mortal’s concepts of time. I agreed to your claims and so I sealed our contract. It was inevitable when I agreed to your stipulations. Why wait? What purpose would it serve when you’d already agreed?”

As his words pummeled at her angry resistance, Sarah felt her shoulders briefly tense then eventually loosen as she realized with resentment that he was right. Still, she looked at him and challenged him just as equally.

“I’m aware you’re not mortal, Jareth. You remind me of it constantly. So let me remind you that I’m _not._ Assumption works both ways. You can’t shield yourself under that excuse and not apply it to myself. I didn’t know that if you agreed, you’d instantly bond me to you. Next time, a little _communication_ prior to making a life altering decision on my behalf would be appreciated.”

Jareth’s grip eased on her as he blinked at the steel in her words then began to laugh. The abrupt change in Jareth briefly startled her, making her blink and her anger dissipate into wary confusion. He was giving up that easily? To her surprise, he rolled up to a sitting position and offered her his hand. _Probably because he’s already gotten what he wanted,_ she thought with the last fleeting crash of anger that skirted across her thoughts. Still, it did little good now to continue to stew on an action already finished. Her warning stood if he chose to do it again, at least she hoped it did.

Deciding now to just act on instinct, she automatically reached up and took his hand without thinking, startled to realize that despite his trickster ways, she did trust him. He seemed pleased with her choice, offering her a faint smirk as his eyes softened again, pulling her to her feet then reaching down and swinging her into his arms. Letting out a gasp, Sarah tightened her arms automatically around his shoulders. He moved in slow measured steps towards the bathroom, glancing over her with an appraising glance, knowing she still tensed in his arms.

“Point taken, pet.” He murmured as he settled her on the counter once they entered the bathroom, his lips finding hers once more after he conjured a crystal and absently tossed it over his shoulder and into the tub. She frowned but quickly found herself swept up in the flare of passion between the two of them as her body responded instantly to his, her nipples beading against her shift and her body leaning into his as his mouth and tongue ravaged her, warmth pooling between her thighs. She moaned faintly as his mouth moved from hers to the edges of her collarbone and heard the faint stirrings of the bath tub begin to fill with water as his fingers traced down her shoulders, tugging down the straps of her sleep shift with the gesture. He stilled, pulling back to stare hungrily at her breasts, his hands reaching out and lightly brushing against the hardened nubs. Shuddering faintly, she felt her cheeks color at being exposed but also felt vindication in how her nudity seemed to affect him. His expression looked pained as his eyes narrowed and he swallowed roughly, faint red marks coloring the hollow of his cheeks. Seeing him so visibly shaken edged her own passion higher, making her tremble at the intensity of her sudden arousal. He let out another strangled groan and murmured something too low for her to hear, pulling her to him and finding her mouth once again.

The intensity of his kiss briefly startled her, her mouth opening in surprise and his tongue making quick use of the gesture. Her breasts crushed against his chest and she shivered. He growled at the sensation, briefly tugging at her back with his hands so they were molded against each other. His own tongue, warm and inviting, enticed and swirled against hers. Unable to control herself, she met his aggressive kisses with some of her own, finally allowing herself a moment to indulge.

“Yes,” he hissed in excitement, gripping her bottom lip roughly with his teeth as he pulled them apart just enough to allow one hand to pluck at her nipples, soothing the stinging pleasure by cupping each one softly in turn. She moaned at the sensation and felt her insides clench, the warmth sluicing through her and dampening her panties. She clenched her thighs in embarrassment, unknowingly anchoring his hips against hers.

“Shh, pet, it’s alright..” He murmured softly, tilting his head to better fit his mouth against hers, dropping his ministrations from her breasts to softly cup her head, stroking her tongue with his. She whimpered, entirely new to intimacy, suddenly becoming frightened at the intensity of the sensation.

“Jareth…this isn’t…what I thought you had…in mind…with a bath…” She gasped softly, her voice a strangled plea as she tried to put distance between them, her head rolling back as his hands gripped her hips gently, tugging them closer to the edge of the counter while his head bent and his tongue traced along her skin lower still, finding the valley between her breasts. Her nipples tightened further at the proximity of his mouth and she felt a twinge of discomfort and desire, her skin breaking out in goosebumps at the sensation.

“I’m well aware of our arrangement, pet. It didn’t mention that I couldn’t touch you in other ways…” He whispered, briefly taking a nipple into his mouth and tugging softly with teeth and tongue, sending a stab of warmth through her core. She moaned loudly and without being fully conscious of it, dug her fingers into his hair to hold him in place.

While her fear increased, so did her carnal needs. Sarah panted, shifting her hips and widening her knees to allow his own to cradle against hers. She felt the brush of his hardness against her and shuddered fiercely, the pooling warmth in her center tugging painfully in realization of its emptiness. The intensity once again startled her and she tried to pull back. Jareth’s hands kept her in place but they were no longer tense like they had been with their earlier arguments in the bed. He clearly didn’t want to stop but he didn’t want to frighten her either.

“Jareth…” She sighed again, this time her warning sounding more like a plea as his mouth pulled back and he blew faintly against her nipple. She inhaled sharply at the sensation, feeling his body shudder as he drew back and took her mouth once more, leaning in and pressing his hips against hers.

“Please don’t ask me to stop, precious. I promise I will make it worth it. I won’t hurt you, I won’t force you. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I will honor our agreement and you will remain intact. Just please don’t ask me to stop touching you…” He whispered between kisses, tugging at her sleep shift until it bunched around her hips. As his hands tugged on the fabric, she weighed his appeal in her mind, finally giving her silent assent as she lifted her hips slightly and allowed him to tug off the shift.

He let out a strangled groan against her mouth as his fingers moved to quickly discard her shift to parting her legs, letting them splay open on the countertop as his hand dipped across her hips and found her center, gently teasing. Her body jerked with surprise as his thumb flickered briefly against her nub while his other fingers lightly slipped into her.

“You’re so bloody wet, precious…” He groaned, pulling his mouth from her to push his head down and take a nipple once again with his mouth, flicking lightly with his tongue and teeth.

The sensation was almost too much for Sarah to handle, her body beginning to twist back of its own accord, her hips raising to meet the ministrations of his hand and her chest angling to better meet the indulgences of his mouth.

“Jareth…” Her sigh was no longer a warning, instead twisted into a hoarse beg as her body teetered on the edge of something she couldn’t understand. Her body was shaking with the magnitude of the sensation, the beginning fluttering inside her making her squirm and pant, equally frustrated and unsure.

“Just relax, precious. Let me take you there…” Jareth murmured against her breast, tugging hard on her nipple with his teeth before giving the other equal appreciation. Sarah gasped, his fingers curling tightly inside her, pumping faster and faster against the slickness of her arousal, touching her at angles she’d never felt before.

As her hips began to rise again, his mouth pulled away from her breasts and replaced his thumb, sucking on the nub of pleasure while his fingers pumped her ruthlessly. Sarah tensed then felt something inside her explode, causing her to seize briefly then scream, clamping down around his fingers as she fell back, arching her hips up to meet his mouth. Jareth never stopped, his fingers and mouth riding her climax with her, continuing to pump with a gentle rhythm until every last spasm was wrenched from her. Eventually, he pulled himself gently from her and lifted her when he felt her body loosen, placing her in the tub with care. She leaned back against the warm marble, her eyes closed, still lost in the aftermath of her orgasm.

 _Holy Christ,_ her mind whirled, both appalled and reveling in the sensation. Her body still felt out of sorts, the lapping of the water at her breasts almost painful against her nipples and she found her hands reaching up to cover them as her eyes remained closed.

Within moments, she could hear him tug off his pants and join her, the water shifting as he came close and gently tugged her into his lap, her hips resting between his thighs.

“That was…” She tried to say after several seconds passed by, his arms circling her waist. He seemed to chuckle faintly as she continued to try and find her breath. Her eyes fluttered open to meet his smug ones. While she wanted to slap the arrogance off his face, she found herself smiling in return. She saw a flash of teeth as he returned the gesture and his mouth lowered to hers. She let him kiss her softly for several moments, his hands tracing her face.

“That is what it can be like between us, pet.” He murmured softly after several slow kisses, raising his head to meet her gaze. “I can’t wait to feel that exquisite little cunt all around me. It is one of the most amazing sensations you can ever experience…” His gaze drew hooded, a small arrogant grin tugging at one side of his mouth as she responded with a soft exhale, feeling her desire return at his description of how it would be between them once he was allowed to have her. ”When you’re ready for me, of course.”

She flushed faintly and swallowed, turning slightly in his grip so her eyes didn’t quite meet his, struggling against the fierce promise in them. Embarrassed to admit she’d never felt anything like that in her life, she sat shyly, letting the silence lapse between them. Somehow, she sensed he knew it and was trying to ease her discomfort, stroking her lightly across the back and resting his chin against her head.

“Does it trouble you that I find you so attractive?” He murmured softly, waiting for her to finally reply.

“A little. You’re so beautiful and I’m just a human…” He tensed briefly but she let her arms gently curl around his waist, continuing before he could object.  “I feel the same about you. I’ve just….never felt this intensely before. It’s a little overwhelming..” She whispered, feeling a little less hesitant to admit her feelings when she wasn’t looking him in the eye. He continued to stroke her gently, making no movements to disentangle her from him.

Frowning, she gently traced her fingers down under the water where they sat together in the tub, noticing he was still very, very erect. She suddenly felt saddened he hadn’t been able to experience what she had and her fingers explored further, wrapping gently around his shaft. His hips briefly pressed forward as he exhaled sharply through his nose against her temple. He groaned faintly and she pulled her head back to meet his gaze. His eyes bored into hers as she smiled faintly, stroking him underneath the water.

“And you? Can I…return the favor?” She asked timidly. She blushed faintly as his hands flexed against the edge of the tub and he let out a harsh breath, his eyes never leaving hers.

“You can do whatever you want to me, pet.” He roughly whispered between clenched teeth, taking a few moments to reign in the savage look on his face as her hand still gently pumped him beneath the water.  “I’ve been wanting it for years...” He let out a pained groan and a shaky laugh when her grip tightened as she tugged on his erection, letting the fingers of her free hand explore the rest of him as she continued to stroke him tightly.

Jareth’s head fell back as his brow knit and his eyes closed, his knuckles turning white with the harsh grip he kept on the edge of the tub. He was so large in her hand, she felt both arousal and nervousness for what it would feel like inside her. Her insides clenched at the thought and her actions grew more bold, her grip twisting faintly as she stroked him.  She watched him shudder and twist faintly in the tub as her grp strengthened. Feeling suddenly emboldened, Sarah leaned forward like he had with her and dropped her lips to lightly trace her tongue along his clavicle. He let out another harsh breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly as she continued her ministrations. He tensed briefly as he began to throb in her hand and she stopped, making his head whip up and his eyes stare savagely into hers.

“I….want to see you…,” she whispered gently, biting her lip and coloring at her request. “Please, let me see you? I want to taste you like you did me.” His eyes practically glowed in his darkened expression as he registered her words and slowly stood in the tub, watching her eyes widen as his erection came proudly into view. Smirking faintly as she swallowed, he moved and sat along the edge of the tub, opening his legs as Sarah moved closer.

Briefly meeting his gaze, she felt the silent challenge as their eyes clashed. She grinned faintly, feeling brave, and rested her palms on his inner thighs as she leaned forward and licked at the head. Instantly, his gaze drug away from hers as his eyes closed and his head tilted back, a low groan tearing from his lips.

Encouraged by his groan and the twitch of his legs, she gripped the length like before and swallowed the rest with her mouth, doing her best to wrap her tongue around him in the process. She was startled to already begin to taste his essence, a hint of salty sweetness as the base of her tongue lapped at the bulb.

Jareth panted loudly, letting out a fractured groan as his hips lightly bucked upwards, almost pressing his cock too deep to handle in her mouth. Her grip tightened but she didn’t stop him once he pressed forward once more, her hand acting like a shield against another sudden deep intrusion in her mouth. Unable to tell him no, seeing his control slipping as his body stiffened and his hips began to rock gently up in small angled thrusts against the resistance, Sarah simply continued to stroke and suck in tandem, feeling his cock throb and harden as he let out a series of small pants and then he suddenly seized like she had, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly as he tensed and let out a glorious groan, his cock throbbing in her hand and then a flood of salty sweetness hitting her tongue, forcing her to swallow before it spilled out past her lips.

Jareth groaned, his body stiff as his cock continued to throb, filling her mouth. She stroked him, swallowing, until finally he sagged against her and pulled himself back into the tub, holding her close and stroking her hair. She frowned, still feeling him hard against her, expecting him to be satisfied and softer but enjoyed the way he stroked her back with an almost reverent quality.

 _Did we seriously just do all that?_ Her mind reeled, a silly grin tugging at her features. _Did I seriously just take him in my mouth?_ Still slightly giddy, Sarah waited for the other shoe to drop in on their post-coital bliss.

Nothing happened.

Sarah let herself sink into the pleasure of simply relaxing against Jareth for the time being. Her heart tugged painfully, briefly spoiling the moment as she realized with dismay how his gentleness with her made her love only deepen for him. Tear pricked at her eyes and she blinked them furiously away, forcing her breathing to remain even so he couldn’t sense the strain in her voice.

“As someone new to this you’re a fast learner, pet.” He murmured with amusement after several moments, giving her a much needed distraction from her thoughts. She felt herself turn red and he chuckled softly and gently stroked her breasts, feeling the nipples bead instantly in the palms of his hand. Sarah gasped faintly, feeling the telltale signs of desire tugging at her once more.

“Does it ever stop?” She whispered, her eyes wide as his hand once more found her opening, his thumb gently teasing her nub as his fingers once more began to smoothly thrust.

“I honestly don’t know, precious. This is new to me, too…” He admitted as his mouth trailed along her jawline, his other hand reaching to have her grip him again, his hips arching into her grip with small measured thrusts, his breath hitching in his throat. “You make me feel things I haven’t ever felt before.” Groaning, he anchored her against the edge of the tub, where his hand and her grip could mimic their eventual joining. Sucking in a sharp breath, he moved them in unison, and her body shuddered and tightened around his fingers. “Every time I think I’ve had enough…”

“I know,” she whispered, feeling the fluttering of her climax building, tugging her other arm around his shoulders, drawing him close. “It scares me too..”

His eyes briefly met hers and she could have sworn she saw recognition of her emotions in his gaze but too soon, they were both caught up again in their teasing, drawing each other into orgasm together.

 

* * *

 

 

Breakfast with the King turned out to be a royal affair.

After they’d satisfied each other and explored one another’s forms to their satisfaction, they took to bathing each other in turn. Jareth was gentle and attentive and when he’d risen from the tub to give her one last lingering kiss before he disappeared from view to dress in his own quarters, Sarah felt his absence immediately.

Climbing out of the tub and drying herself off, Sarah did her best to swallow the worry clouding her throat. She was afraid of how much he already started to mean to her without understanding if he could even feel what she felt for him in return.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she let out a soft sigh and began to comb through her hair after slipping on a comfortable robe from the wall. A brief knock on the door made her pause and walk towards the front of her room. She opened the door, brush still in her hand, confusion on her features.

A servant in white dressings bowed before her, handing her a stiff card on a silver platter. She reached forward and grabbed the note as the servant bowed and moved away. Her gaze lowered and she read the note, noticing the two female servants that had been standing outside her door slipping in and beginning to rummage quietly through her closet.

_Join me for breakfast in an hour. The servants are here to help you prepare.  J_

“If it pleases my lady, I can finish…” A soft whisper made Sarah jump, drawing her eyes away from the card. She saw one of the female servants holding out her hands for the brush and, not used to being waited on, offered her the tool quietly. The servant took it and bowed, moving to settle her in a chair against a vanity next to the closet that hadn’t been there previously.

“What…?” She began to ask, startled at the appearance of the furniture, moving to sit in the chair as instructed. The servant gently rested her hands on her shoulders and smiled at her through the mirror, settling into the task of combing and drying her hair. Sarah briefly stared at both women, realizing she couldn’t discern their age. They were both attractive in a subtle way with bright blue eyes and a healthy tanned skin tone, but their hair was covered under odd bonnets molded to their heads in the same plain white cloth as their uniforms.

“The King wished you to be properly prepped this morning so he saw that you had all the necessary amenities to do so,” the one working her hair simply replied, combing through Sarah’s dark locks with a gentle ease and giving her a soft smile in return. Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as she worked with what Sarah could tell was enjoyment.

“It’s been so long since we’ve been allowed to wait on a lady, please forgive our stares. You’re very beautiful and will be such a lovely Queen…” She murmured as she worked. The other servant looked over her shoulder and smiled, toying with several dresses, airing them out from the closet.

 _Queen? Already?_ Sarah frowned but said nothing, allowing the women to dry, curl and style her hair atop her head in an intricate fashion. As they placed pearls and jewels in her hair, she swallowed nervously but again said nothing. One turned her head away from the mirror and began to paint on what she assumed was makeup on her eyelids.

Eventually, they told her to keep her eyes and mouth closed as they painted her cheeks and lips with a wet substance. One gently pushed her to a standing position and moved to loosen her robe. Sarah tensed but the soothing words of the woman eased her nervousness. Swallowing, she stripped blindly and allowed them to fasten undergarments on her body. She raised her arms when they asked and felt them tugging a dress over her head, miraculously avoiding her mass of coiffed hair.

Turning as instructed, she felt her neck and ears weighted down with what she assumed was jewelry. Their hands tinkered here and there for several more moments and eventually she felt them pull away and giggle amongst themselves. Frowning, she let her eyes flutter open and gasped at her reflection in the mirror.

She certainly looked the part of a queen. Her hair was curled in massive waves, pinned away from her forehead and secured back with various pearls and jewels. Her eyes shone against the dark smokey eyeshadow and intricate liner that winged out at the edges of her eyes, very similar to how Jareth wore his. Her lips glimmered darkly from the red staining her lips. She looked like some kind of doll.

The dress was exquisite, a dark brocade green lined with gold thread with capped sleeves that hung low on her shoulders, exposing her collarbones. The bodice and edging of her dress was done with what she first assumed to be lace but upon closer inspection turned out to be tiny pearls. A set of pearl and crystals lined her throat and ears, glowing under the light of the lamps. Swallowing, she turned faintly and saw that the large skirt of the gown sway with her with ease. Once again, it had to have been enchanted, barely weighing against her skin despite the yards of fabric in the gown.

“You outdid yourselves, ladies..” Sarah murmured with a smile, noticing how the women hung back and stared at her with a reserved nervousness, as if needing her confirmation of a job well done. Despite feeling uncomfortable at the show of excessive opulence in her appearance, Sarah felt like she needed to ease their anxiety.

They brightened and bowed, moving towards the door. Sarah followed and found herself escorted once more to the dining hall by the servant who had given her the note after Jareth had left. Still unable to make heads or tails of their direction in the halls, she simply followed and did her best to steel her nerves. Her color rose as she thought about their morning in the bath, hoping that she could resist anything else tossed her way before they headed Aboveground.

 _Yes, Aboveground. Have you so easily forgotten your friends?_ Her conscience sneered in her head, humbling her. She swallowed and lowered her eyes to the floor, pausing as they reached the door and the servant escorted her inside, leaving her standing on the other side as the door shut quietly behind her.

As she moved across the room towards the long stretch of table on the other side, she paused as she heard the clinking of several glasses and low murmurs. Her eyes shot up and she briefly felt stunned at the number of beautiful strangers sitting at the table with the King sitting at the head, a seat to his right unoccupied.

“Come, Sarah. Meet my small council,” Jareth called out, stilling all conversation in the room as the others turned to stare, motioning to the chair beside him.

Suddenly uneasy, Sarah forced herself to smile and begin moving towards the empty chair. A male servant stepped forward and pulled the chair out for her, easing her against the table one she settled in.

“Lords, let me introduce Miss Sarah Williams of the Aboveground….my Queen.” Jareth said after she found the courage to meet his gaze. He smiled faintly, even if the action didn’t quite meet his eyes. She could tell he held a certain detachment that he hadn’t that morning in the presence of these other men. She hoped she could appear to do the same.

Startled glances and murmurs immediately broke out amongst the others and Sarah felt her insides quiver with unease once more. It appeared that the Goblin King taking a human bride was a shock to the rest. She didn’t quite have the courage yet to explore the men’s profiles at the table, who were obviously fae and surprised at her appearance and humanity, from what she was able to discern from their gossip. He smiled at her again and simply took her hand in his, giving it the briefest of kisses against her palm before tapping his spoon against his glass and clearing his throat, turning his attention back to the room. Instantly, the room fell silent.

“Let us begin,” he started once more, his gaze back to the emotionless mask she associated so well with the Goblin King of her past. He motioned the servants to bring out the food and settled his napkin in his lap, ignoring her. She felt the attention in the room shift from her to Jareth and finally began to inspect each man in turn. A few met her exploratory gaze and nodded their heads at her, their expression devoid of judgement – either out of kindness or fear of the Goblin King’s wrath, she wasn’t sure which.

“What is the first order of business?”

As they settled into business, Sarah busied herself by trying to eat. To her surprise, they’d occasionally ask for her opinion and she’d give it to the best of her ability. As she weighed in between bites of food, she could sense the tense undercurrent in the room ease. A few of the stiffer men even began to smile.

Sarah felt her confidence begin to recover as she realized they actually valued her opinion. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jareth briefly smile before bringing a glass of wine to his lips.

 

* * *

 

 

“So, we…what? Wish for her? Do you really think this’ll work Steve?”  Nancy frowned, chewing silently on her latest mouthful of cereal as they sat huddled together at Nancy’s kitchen table. Jonathan sat back, arms crossed over his chest as Steve also ate, thumbing through the little red book.

“I think so. See, here, it mentions wishing away her brother. So we just have to wish someone away.” He looked up from his reading to see them both frown and glance between each other. “What?” He shrugged, looking between them. “If you’re nervous, you can just wish me away. I volunteer for the job.”

“Aren’t you worried you’re going to get yourself into something you can’t handle?” Jonathan asked, frowning. Nancy seemed to echo the sentiment with the way her eyes avoided his and she ate her cereal with renewed vigor.

“And that’s better than the alternative? Sarah being trapped in this place with that fae king? God knows what he’s doing to her. So sue me for being worried. We read the same book, right? He’s not exactly the most self-effacing guy. He’s a downright villain in the book, remember?”

“It also said he was in love with her…” Nancy murmured, making both boys stare at her. “What?” She said around a mouthful of cereal and a shrug of her shoulders.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m going to do this, even if I do it by myself. Are you in or are you out?”

Jonathan and Nancy looked between themselves as Steve waited impatiently. They glanced back at him and nodded, steeling their shoulders.

“We’re in.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sarah walked in tandem with Jareth down another nameless hallway after the small council breakfast had concluded and the men had gathered around to congratulate them on their bonding. Most of the men smiled freely now and the reserved ones kept their tone friendly by their own choice it seemed. Sarah did her best to remember their names and thanked them for their kind words as they left.

“You did well today,” Jareth murmured from her side as the last of the men left the dining hall. Sarah turned and took his offered arm, curing her hands into the crook of his elbow as they walked out of the dining hall and down one of the corridors to the left.

“Thank you. A little warning would have been nice,” she teased, but soothed his worries away by placing a lingering hand on his shoulder as he frowned over at her. “I appreciate you letting me attend. I’m even more surprised they let me participate.”

“Why?” Jareth asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Because you’re a woman? Or a human?” Sarah shrugged and he laughed faintly, pulling her gently along the hallway. “We’re not as barbaric as you think, love. We simply shocked them is all. You’ve been telling me I’m a little too impulsive. Perhaps you’re right in some regards.”

Sarah blinked, letting out a small peal of surprised laughter as they moved down the hallway and Jareth grinned faintly at the noise.

“Don’t get used to it,” he teased against her ear, pushing open a door to their left, referring to his admittance that she was right.

Sarah blinked, staring at the walls of the nondescript room. Jareth snapped his fingers and the fireplace against the far wall roared to life, bringing the portraits lining the room into focus.

“Oh my,” Sarah breathed, letting go of Jareth’s arm to stare at the portraits. He gestured and pointed out his ancestors and previous Goblin Kings.

Sarah glanced at him as they came upon a portrait of a man and woman who looked very similar to him. He nodded at her question when she asked if it was his parents and she noticed the blank spot next to them, giving him a questioning look.

“That spot is reserved for when I take a queen,” he murmured, coming up beside her and resting his hand against her back. “Which I now have.” His lips lightly graced her cheek and she turned to stare at him, swallowing nervously as his eyes softened and a hand traced her face. “You’ll be the most beautiful painting in this room.”

“Jareth...” Sarah began, swallowing her words as he kissed her lightly and pulled her to the couch. He stood and poured them both three fingers worth of liquor from a far cabinet, returning and handing her one. She accepted it and took a small measured sip, allowing the burning warmth in her throat to sharpen her senses as he settled beside her, resting a hand on her knee.

“You have questions,” he began. She nodded, shifting her gaze to his.

“You said we were bonded. What exactly does that mean?”

Jareth took a sip of his drink and stared at her for several seconds before answering. “Before I begin, understand that I value you as an equal. If I wanted a subservient wife, I could have married a fae noblewoman. That’s not what I want, Sarah. I want _you,_ all your stubbornness and fire. All of it.”

Sarah swallowed another sip of her drink, feeling her cheeks flush red. He smiled and looked into the fire as he continued. “When we bonded, I tied your life and magic to mine. We’re tied at the most elemental level. You also possess the power to move between worlds, like I do. That is why you are so interesting to this creature Aboveground. You will share my longevity, some of my magic and my body. When we marry, we are loyal, Sarah. I will never touch another woman. I would hope the same applies to you.”

Sarah blinked and opened her mouth to reply that she’d never even entertained the idea, briefly hearing his description of her powers and why she’d had the visions she had. He stilled her with a hand before she could interrupt. “Let me finish. I only want to say this once.” She nodded and he continued.

“I feel very strongly for you, Sarah. More strongly than I have ever felt for anyone. For years, I’d watched you after you rejected my offer and took your brother back to the Aboveground. I hated you, for making me feel these things, and then feeling the lingering pain of your spurned love. I won’t lie, I was not used to losing and resented you for years, determined to drive any other men away from you until I’d had the right to taste you for myself.” He felt her tense briefly at her side and coaxed her gently with his fingers, continuing on when she said nothing.

“But a funny thing happened. You never let yourself carry on with other men and I felt…relief that you weren’t interested. I couldn’t tell if it was because of me but I had hoped. Before long, I’d made plans to return to you, offer myself once more, but then you simply were gone.”

Sarah’s mind whirled, realizing he must have been describing when she’d moved.

“Hawkins…” she murmured. He nodded.

“Yes. Something about that place hid you from my scrying crystals. For the first time in a millennium, I felt true fear. I couldn’t see you and it scared me, Sarah.” His fingers briefly knotted in her dress and her gaze turned to meet his. The depth of emotion shining through his eyes startled her.

“So I left. I put a steward in charge of my affairs and I integrated myself into Hawkins life. I knew your rough age and prayed my appearance at the school would connect me with you.” He briefly smiled and touched her cheek with his finger. “And there you were, crashing into my life once more, spilling your school books right into my lap, as it were.”

Sarah pinkened and laughed faintly. He smiled and toyed with one of the curls in her hair, letting out a soft sigh. “It was so hard not to take you right there. Simply steal you away, like one of the lost children of the Labyrinth. But I swore to myself if I did take you, it’d be because _you_ wished it. I remembered all too well what happened the last time I cornered you against your will.”

Sarah swallowed, feeling remorse and regret at the way things had ended all those years ago. “I’m sorry I put you through all that,” she whispered, setting her glass of liquor aside and pressing her forehead against his. “I couldn’t give in, no matter how much I wanted to…for my brother…”

“I know, love. I know.” He replied, kissing her temple.

Sarah warred with herself and finally looked him in the eye.

“I’m in love with you,” She blurted out, steeling herself for the inevitable ambivalence she thought would be there. She saw his eyes briefly widen as his frame stiffened and she curled her fingers against his mouth, afraid to hear him tell her that he didn’t love her like that. “I felt something for you even back then. I’m scared of loving you, Jareth. I don’t even know if you can feel love like I can. The kind of love I feel for you is…terrifying. It could destroy me.”

His hand grasped her wrist and tore her hand from his mouth. He frowned sharply at her, his eyes glowing as he leaned forward and gripped the back of her head fiercely. “Foolish girl, do you think I’d burn like this for any woman?” He whispered hotly against her mouth, kissing her with an intensity she only felt once before during their initial private dinner. “I’ve loved you for _years_ , Sarah. _My_ Sarah…”

She sobbed briefly against his mouth, relief flooding through her and almost overwhelming her. _He loves me…_

Almost immediately, he drew her to a standing position, putting aside her glass and his own, grasping her hands in his and pulling her to him.

“Are you ready?” He murmured fiercely, nipping at her mouth.

She frowned. “Ready for what?” She asked, confused. _Weren’t we leaving in the morning?_

“I want this issue Aboveground settled, so I can finally taste _all_ you have to offer me,” he purred, leaning into her and kissing her ravenously.

 _Oh my…_ her mind whirled, returning the kiss. She felt the ground beneath her shift and she smiled against his mouth, assuming that he’d shifted them to the bedroom.

“What the HELL?”

The outraged cry drew her lips away from Jareth’s in surprise. She whipped around, staring at the shocked gaze of Jonathan, Steve and Nancy in their bedroom, the labyrinth book opened on the bed.

“We meet again,” Jareth sneered openly at the three teenagers, keeping his possessive hold on Sarah, still dressed in their finery.

 


	15. Return to Hawkins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd have so much fun with this chapter, but I did! I've been waiting for the moment Steve and Jareth confronted each other, as we all knew they would. And it's here! Let me know what you think!
> 
> This chapter is also kind of my ode to Steve from Season 2. I felt so bad for poor Steve with him and Nancy and here I am doing it to him AGAIN with him and Sarah! (Sorry Steve, Jareth's got dibs! Doesn't mean I don't love you!)

 

Sarah found herself at a sudden loss for words as Jonathan and Nancy jumped back, almost hurling themselves across Nancy's bed in an effort to get as far away as possible from Jareth. Her relief at seeing them was instantaneous, seeing they'd survived the attack with no harm, but she was also nervous at their entrance and how they'd react to her relationship with Jareth. She briefly noted he still had his hands clamped on her waist like a brand as everyone in the room measured up each other in silence. All three teenagers stood stiffly and stared at their sudden appearance with a mixture of surprise, fear and confusion. Steve, however, was the first to seize on anger. He stalked forward and glared at Jareth, raising his hand like he wanted to jab a finger into the Goblin King's chest.

"Just who the fuck do you think you – " He started furiously, only to have Jareth swiftly eat up the distance between their bodies, grabbing hold of Steve's wrist mid-sentence and twisting, causing him to stagger onto his knees. Steve let out a sharp cry, clutching at his wrist as Jareth hunched forward and lowered his hostile gaze to clash with Steve's. He bared his teeth in a chilly smile as a flash of fear skirted across the boy's face at Jareth's strength.

"Don't try me,  _boy,"_  he spat, shoving him with so much force as he released his wrist that Steve skidded a few feet back on the floor. Jareth flashed another cold grin, casually pulling himself into a standing position once more, not even a hair out of place. While Sarah expected a confrontation of sorts, she was shocked at the display. Clearly, his actions were meant to send a statement to the others in the room and remind them how inhuman he really was.

_Do not fuck with me, you will lose._

Sarah swallowed and stepped forward, reaching for Jareth to try and calm him. Jareth still hadn't forgiven them for the Demogorgon attack on her in the locker room and her friends still hadn't determined who's side he was on. If anyone was going to break the icy silence in the room, it was up to her.

"Jareth! Please! You promised." Sarah gently pleaded, touching his elbow. While his expression looked downright murderous for a few moments in the direction of the others, he eventually looked back over at her with a softened expression. Casting a nervous smile at the others, she tried to reason with him.

"You're scaring them. We need their help, they know about the darkness. Please, Jareth, they're my friends…give them a chance?"

Jareth leaned forward, lightly grazing her jawline with gloved fingers. He tilted his head and gave her a small chaste kiss, lingering for a few seconds longer than necessary. His eyes shot up and met Steve's as he did so and Sarah wanted to roll her eyes at the display of male pride but played along.

Steve's facial expression narrowed at Jareth's and he cast it away after a split-second as Jareth pulled back, baring his teeth in a mockery of a smile in the boy's direction. Steve wisely kept his mouth shut but his jaw ticked at the act of affection while Nancy and Jonathan simply stared wide-eyed, astonished at what they were seeing.

"I can't do this," Steve blurt out after a few seconds, walking out of the room in a hurry, slamming the door to Nancy's room behind him.

Sarah stiffened and Jareth smiled lazily at the others before glancing at Sarah as if to say  _Yes, she's mine. What are you going to do about it?_  "Don't worry, I'll fetch him." He grinned faintly at Sarah as she tensed, worried he'd hurt Steve. "I won't harm him again, pet. You have my word."

Sarah relaxed and watched Jareth disappear from the room. She nervously canted her eyes towards Jonathan and Nancy who hadn't yet moved away from the wall, their eyes nervously darting around the room for several seconds before stopping on her and her opulent wardrobe.

"So, I should explain…" She started as Jonathan and Nancy pulled away from the wall slowly, still staring at her silently with wide eyes.

"Um, yeah?" Nancy finally blurted out, her voice sounding exasperated but with no hidden criticism, only confusion. She arched an eyebrow and stared at Sarah, crossing her arms over her chest. "You look like some kind of fairy queen. I've seen a lot over the past few months, but I think this takes the cake."

Sarah felt immediate remorse and she could feel the burn in her cheeks from her blush, casting her eyes down at the carpet a moment.  _I guess I deserved that._  Letting out a soft sigh, she raised her gaze and met theirs with a timid smile. "I promise to tell you everything," she replied humbly, raising her hands in surrender and shrugging her shoulders. "I know I fucked up, big time. But you have to understand, like you said in the car…I've never told a soul any of this, it sounds too crazy. But I will try. Before I start, can I borrow some clothes? Not sure this is exactly appropriate for the Aboveground and this might take a while…."

Nancy frowned, tilting her head to the side. "Aboveground?"

"Oh, sorry." Sarah grinned sheepishly, coloring further. "I mean…Hawkins. Here, this plane." Sarah explained, tapping on the bed with her finger.

"Right…." Nancy replied with a hint of bewilderment still in her voice, giving her a tight-lipped smile as if to say  _This shit is the craziest shit in a long list of crazy shit._ Sarah couldn't help but chuckle at her expression and Nancy returned the chuckle with a ghost of a smile. _"_ I'll see what I can find," she said and moved to her closet, opening the double doors to rummage. Jonathan continued to simply smile at Sarah, having stayed quiet through all this. When she asked him what he was thinking, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Every time I think I understand things, they just keep getting stranger."

"Tell me about it," Sarah replied.

As their eyes met across the bed, they both broke out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter as Nancy returned with clothes in her arms.

 

* * *

 

 _I can't believe I actually felt sorry for her,_ Steve sneered in his head, already having stormed out the house, halfway across the lawn and marching to his car in the brisk night air.  _I was worried sick, thinking she'd been kidnapped and for what? She's fucking the guy! She didn't even give a rat's ass about my concerns!_

Angry at the situation, at his past with Nancy, at the sting to his ego that Sarah hadn't liked him even though deep down he knew she didn't, Steve punched uselessly at the air as he strode towards the street.

 _Why does this keep happening to me?_ He thought, a deep sadness rippling through him, briefly drowning out the restless anger he felt. He wanted to scream, trembling with the urge to, balling his hands into fists at his sides as he closed his eyes and took a series of deep inhalations, trying to calm himself.  _What is it, huh? Does karma have this big "Fuck you, Steve!" sign pinned to my back? Why do I keep falling for these girls who couldn't give a fuck less about me? Am I cursed or something?_

Silence met his internal raging and he let out a rough self-pitying laugh, shaking his head.

"Fuck this, I'm out of here…" he muttered, racking a hand through his hair as he reached for his car door.

"Leaving so soon? You're even more of a coward than I thought," a cool baritone voice replied in the night air behind him, making him shout in surprise and whirl on his heel, staring at the Goblin King who appeared a few feet away, no longer in Kingly finery but the black skeletal armor he'd heard Nancy describe. He swallowed at the instant lump of fear in his throat because the man really did look terrifying but stupidly glared daggers at the strange male, instantly tapping into his frustration and anger and directing it at the source: this fucking fae king. Everything was  _his fault!_

"Fuck you asshole," He swore, punching his fist at the air in Jareth's general direction. "Go back to Sarah and the others, you sick fuck." He turned to jerk his car door open and halfway thought about it before whirling again on impulse, wanting to release some of the anger he felt at the mysterious man, even if he knew he'd lose.

"You're twisted, you know that?! I've read that story about you! I know what you're like! I've seen the legends! You think she wants you? Hah!" Steve's snorted, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the man who simply stared at him with a bored expression, half laughing and half sneering at the Goblin King, not caring if the man could strike him down in an instant. At that moment, all he felt was rage and Jareth was an easy target. Seeing the man taking his insults without a flinch just pissed him off further, spurring him into threats that, later on, he'd be surprised he lived long enough to mutter. "She won't want you, when she knows the truth. Wait 'til I show her what you're  _really like_ , you bastard, and then she'll…"

"She'll what?" Jareth murmured, his menacing tone slicing through the air and instantly strangling Steve's resentful tirade. Jareth stepped forward and Steve stiffened but stood his ground, glaring at the man in front of him with all the hatred he felt at the very fiber of his being. Nancy, Sarah, Jonathan, Barbara, the Demogorgon – the Goblin King represented them  _all_ to him in that moment. In his mind's eye, he saw Nancy holding Jonathan's hand, Jareth kissing Sarah while staring at him, goading him into trying to deny what he felt in that moment and he was  _sick_ of it. He was  _tired_  of being second best. It just wasn't fair!  _Fuck him!_

Just as Steve opened his mouth to scream another string of angry accusations, Jareth growled and stepped forward once more. The sheer look of unfiltered rage in Jareth's eyes had Steve's unvoiced litany dying in his throat. He was pleased he'd even managed to stand his ground, staring unflinchingly into the gaze of an immortal being who could easily kill him if he wished. He'd been scared of the Demogorgon, but he was _terrified_ of the Goblin King who stared at him with eyes that were bottomless, ancient and cold.

"She was mine well before you entered the picture,  _boy_. She was always mine. It was just a matter of time before she realized she'd  _always_  be mine. I'll never let her go.  _Ever._ " Jareth replied coolly, staring at Steve with a mocking smirk that tilted the edges of his mouth up, the action at odds with his cold expression. Steve tensed, feeling like Jareth's alien gaze was peeling back his outer defenses, seeing all his insecurities and self-loathing underneath, only to still as Jareth's gaze shifted sharply, looking back towards the house.

Steve blinked, feeling a vacuum against what was once Jareth's stare, looking over his shoulder to follow Jareth's gaze and see what had grabbed his attention so absolutely. It was Sarah, standing in the shadow of Nancy's bedroom window, laughing with Jonathan and taking a small stack of folded clothes from Nancy. Nancy looked confused for a moment, then also burst out laughing, the laughter immediately shifting into an onslaught of tears. Sarah immediately shoved the clothes on the ground and hugged Nancy to her, who clinged to her like a lifeline. Jonathan smiled briefly and when Sarah held out an arm, he laughed and joined in the embrace. Steve swallowed, feeling the despair at how kind she was towards the others and knowing he'd never get to know her like that. Before he realized, Jareth was talking again, making Steve glance back at the fae.

"You see it now, don't you? How special she is? Why I can't let her go? For her,  _only for her,_ did I not  _kill_  you all when you summoned that creature who injured her most severely. Make no mistake, should you or your friends try something like that again, you  _will_ learn my  _true nature_." Although Jareth's voice was soft as he stared at Sarah, the dark-edged promise was crystal clear in Steve's head. He swallowed as he watched Jareth stare at her in the window with an obsessive gleam in his eyes.

Realization hit him like a crowbar between the eyes, making him almost stagger back a step.

"Jesus Christ, you're in love with her." Steve gaped at the fae. Inwardly, his conscience was struggling to maintain composure.  _You really fucked yourself, didn't you Harrington? You have to move on from a girl who doesn't love you to a girl who has an_ _ **immortal creature**_ _in love with her? Fuck me, that's it, love sucks. I quit._ If he hadn't been standing next to Jareth in that moment, he was almost certain he'd have started to laugh with an edge of hysteria in his voice.

While Steve was inwardly wondering why he had the worst luck in the world, Jareth's gaze ripped from Sarah to the boy next to him, his eyes scanning over him with new interest. "Yes," he finally replied, turning to look back at Sarah.

"Got it." Steve said, doing his best to clamp down on the continued urge to laugh at his own shit luck, knowing Jareth might interpret it as an insult. He really didn't feel like dying now, since he knew he'd never stand a chance and frankly didn't want to considering it'd be Jareth as competition. As Jareth's gaze shifted back to look over Steve, he raised his hands in the air and took a step back. "She's yours and if I even look at her wrong, you'll castrate me. Totally get it. We're good, ok?"

Jareth stared at the boy for several seconds and then tossed his head back and laughed. "Quite right, boy." Jareth motioned for Steve to move back to the house. "We need to end this, so I can claim my prize. This monster, where does it live?"

Steve blinked, surprised Jareth knew about the Demogorgon, then remembered he'd been the one to save Sarah and easily dispatch their botched attempt at killing the monster, so he shrugged quickly. "Another dimension?" He waited for the man to stare at him with disbelief.

"Which one?" Jareth replied with a bored tone, making Steve's eyes widen.

"Wait…how many are there?"

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Humans…" He muttered, flicking his wrist to return them to Nancy's bedroom.

* * *

 

Jareth leaned against the far wall of the frilly bedroom he assumed was the female's, keeping silent to not startle the others in the room, who kept casting him wary glances after he'd suddenly appeared with Steve. He still had to resist the urge to break a few bones, just out of spite, as the other mortals gathered around his wife as she talked. The image of Sarah being drug across the locker room would forever be burned into his memory and it filled him with hopeless rage that it had even been allowed to happen.

 _His wife._  Just thinking that term in his head when it came to Sarah drew a satisfaction so deep inside him, it unnerved him at its intensity.

Once he'd returned, he had cast a warding spell at Sarah's request, learning that their human government had been the cause of this dimensional breech and the mortals explained they were worried these men in charge planted listening devices in the room. He sneered at the thought, angered at the idiotic actions of humans tinkering with secrets beyond their comprehension, like a toddler being loosed among delicate china. Still, he'd obliged, and they talked freely after that. Sarah started, retelling their history and the significance of the Underground. At the moment, it didn't concern him that the mortals knew. Memories could be adjusted later.

Still, he found the other mortals barely tolerable, choosing to ignore them completely most of the time Sarah talked, instead focused on her with interest. She fascinated him endlessly and he'd never figure her out, she was so different than the others. He found it slightly ironic that while most humans were bothersome to him, she had always enraptured him. It was her spirit and fire that was so unique.

She'd changed into Aboveground casual clothing that was a little too small for her figure, clinging to her curves and making him tense with the sudden stab of desire in his gut. Shifting uncomfortably at his immediate and painful erection, too subtle for the others to notice, he wondered how long this portal would take to close, wanting nothing more than to lock him and Sarah away for a few hundred years in a corner of the Underground where he could satisfy every traitorous desire he had about her. He'd been in a perpetual state of arousal since stealing her away to the Underground and he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than being inside her and feeling her take him over the edge, again and again. Sarah was thankfully oblivious to his thoughts and continued through her discussion of their past, the expression on the others' faces shifting from wariness to fascination.

They'd begun stealing curious glimpses at him, some of their fear replaced with interest. Still, he couldn't resist giving them the occasional cold sharp-toothed smile, watching the fear return faintly in their eyes with the action. He'd catch Sarah frowning at him and a corner of his mouth would kick up as she tried to subtly tell him with tense facial expressions to be polite. He didn't want them getting too comfortable with him, as he still felt animosity at their earlier actions and needed to remind them that he didn't trust them or their abilities to handle the open portal to the darkness.

Casting a glance outside, he scanned the vicinity with his senses, alert and on edge since returning Aboveground. Whatever was here and seeking out Sarah, the imprint of its magic was growing at an alarming rate. Sarah had been right, this was a problem that was getting worse by the minute. He'd already recognized it in the air the moment they'd arrived and he was wary in its perverse interest in her. She was still primed with Underground magic but untrained in how to harness and use it to defend herself and if the darkness sensed this, he knew it would come after her with force. It wasn't a magic he recognized, but it was powerful and old, perhaps even older than him. For a sliver of a second, his mind drifted.  _Unseelie?_  He tensed and stretched his senses.  _No._  Despite the darkness clinging to the town of Hawkins, things were not quite that dismal yet and it restored some of his confidence that it could be dealt with.

If he'd had his way, he'd have already sent her back Underground and dealt with it alone, not willing to put her at risk. Her words from that morning were all that stilled his hand, not wanting her to be angry with him for making a decision on her behalf without including her. She'd made her point and he had agreed to honor it.

His eyes drifted back to her as the mortals talked excitedly about the Underground. Despite his anatomy annoyingly reminding him of his lust for her, he felt at odds with his nature as he stared. Gods, how he loved her. When she'd admitted her love, he felt his chest constrict painfully and his face flickered with the faintest of winces at the memory, feeling like the emotion was crushing his very core with its ferocity.  _How can humans stand this?_  For the briefest moment, he understood why others of his race chose to avoid emotion. It was all-consuming, distracting, drowning his focus and his discipline. Sometimes, he wished he could hate her for making him feel this way, but as her hair caught the moonlight, he realized:  _No. I cannot hate this. How did I ever even exist before this? She is everything to me. Without her I am nothing._

Sarah, his fierce little human, who should have stood no chance of ever winning against a fae as powerful as him, but by sheer willpower alone had managed to do just that. He'd immediately been captivated and by the time she'd won her brother, he was lost.

"Jareth?" He tilted his head up to meet her gaze as she called his name, reaching up with her hand, drawing him out of his thoughts. He smiled at her, pushing himself off the wall and taking her hand in his.

"So…obviously, this is Jareth, the Goblin King. Yes, those stories you've read are true." The mortals froze, their eyes wide as they stared between them. Jareth smirked as Steve's widened more than the others, looking up at him with the briefest of glances before looking back at Sarah. She smiled faintly at all their expressions, not picking up on the silent exchange between him and Steve. "I could tell you found the book, so there's no sense in beating around the bush. Now you know the Underground is real and my history with it and him. Ah, another thing I should mention….we're bonded."

"Whoa,  _what_?" Nancy gasped, looking between them. "Bonded? What does that mean? Are you immortal too now?"

"It means Sarah is the Goblin Queen, with all the embellishments that go with the title, including immortality." Jareth answered for her. He left out calling her his wife, but he could tell by their expressions they knew. Nancy looked stunned, the boys simply uncomfortable. He could see Sarah's jaw tense in embarrassment at the way the mortals suddenly stared at her intently, knowing she'd only become his wife so he'd allow her to return. He'd been impulsive and selfish and he recognized the narcissistic behavior but didn't care. It had been a means to an end and he had been desperate. The action had been worth facing her hellfire if it mean securing his soul and hers together.

"Wow, ok. Wow…that's…interesting. So wait, does that mean that your family will never remember who you are? Since I assume after this is dealt with….you're what? Leaving?" Nancy frowned, looking between the two. Jareth stilled, having not discussed the subject with Sarah yet, but she astonished him with her reply.

"No, they won't." Sarah's head briefly tilted, her eyes shifting to the floor. His hand squeezed hers and she looked up at him, a sad but resigned expression in her eyes before her gaze returned to the others. Jareth wanted to tell her she could visit them if she must but was relieved she didn't seem resentful, just accepting, deciding on her own terms to sever that connection for the safety of all involved. He knew this would have been an eventual step as she no longer would age. "It's safer that way. For you and for us. From what you were telling me about this lab, I don't want to leave any traces behind that could hurt them or the Underground. They're innocent in all this as much as my family. As for the rest, well…..one step at a time."

Jareth wanted to kiss her, the others bedamned. Gods, she astonished him. His eyes glowed as hers looked shyly back at his, wanting her so badly in that moment he almost stole them away for the night. She blushed and looked back at the others. Not catching their brief heated exchange, he smirked as he felt the mortals tense as a whole, their eyes meeting him with realization and horror.  _Yes, once this is done, you won't remember us either. I'm glad we understand one another._

Sarah didn't say anything, another action that surprised and made his need for her grow deeper.

The others shuddered but their gazes shifted to an unsettled acceptance to what was in store for them. Jareth found this interesting, suddenly impressed with their resignation to their memories being altered.

Jonathan and Steve shifted on the bed and Jonathan cleared his throat to break the silence. The tense atmosphere dissipated and everyone once again started asking questions. Nancy's eyes narrowed after several of Sarah's replies, fixating on something she'd said earlier. "Wait a minute, back up. You said you  _knew_  we had the book. How could you know that? I don't understand, you were in the Underground…" Her eyes flickered between the two of them, waiting for a reply.

Sarah let her eyes lift to Jareth, who answered for her. "When Sarah gained her brother back after the defeat of the Labyrinth, the Underground marked her, bonding some of it's magic to her. While still mortal, she was given the ability to shift the veil between realms. Not to my extent, but enough that the threads between realms was thin and would allow her to peer into my world. I believe, due to this power, the darkness found her of interest. Earlier, it was told to me that this monster comes from another dimension. She unknowingly drew its eye when calling for some of her past acquaintances in my world that most likely thinned the barrier to its own dimension. Seeing as it has had a taste for your world, it seeks ways to cross over. If this gate is being guarded, then it will look for other means…like Sarah."

Sarah paled and he leaned down to sit next to her on the bed and cup her cheek, soothing the shuddering that seemed to seize her form. He knew she was frightened of the beast, but as his words registered, he hadn't realized how terrified she was. Her arms snaked around his waist and her head buried in his shoulder, the others looking nervously between each other. He glared at him, rubbing his hands over her back. Good, they realized how serious events could turn if this darkness had grabbed Sarah. His anger was rising but he forced himself to focus on his wife and comforting her fears, kissing her temple and murmuring in her ear. "This is why I bonded with you so quickly, silly girl. I will protect you. You have access to my magic, my strength. Nothing will harm you, so long as I am here. I swear it."

Sarah eventually recovered but seemed to cling to him. Enjoying the closeness of her soft curves against him, he didn't dream of objecting.

Nancy swallowed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, looking between the two. "So, when you're in the Underground, you could see us here? And vice versa?"

Sarah nodded, sitting up slightly. "Yes. I saw you guys, in the library. It's hard to explain. I could see you, but nothing else. It was you and the table and nothing else. But I could see the book, your conversation. That's how I knew, you might…wish for me…and that would further complicate things. I also could see the darkness. It had a way of not only seeing your world but I think the Underground as well. This darkness, whatever it is, it's bigger than you or me or Hawkins. We have to make sure it can't see us or how to get to us or Jareth's kingdom. It has to be stopped."

Everyone sobered at her words, even Jareth. He briefly wondered at this In-Between, as she called it. He would ask her later to take him there again, so he could establish how it worked. He remembered his time there, but he was so adamant to get her away from the beast he hadn't studied it. She continued as he mulled over this place out of time and space. "The first time I went there, I couldn't see much of anything….but I met this girl that helped me. She protected me from the monster."

Jareth heard their harsh intake of air before he saw their reactions, narrowing his gaze as their eyes widened.

"No WAY," Nancy exclaimed, shock and joy registering on all three of the mortal's features. Jareth stood deathly still as Sarah blinked at their reaction.

"Tell us," Jareth commanded, interrupting their moment of joy, ordering them to reveal the girl's connection to their situation as it was obvious they knew the girl. He needed to meet this mystery child who'd aided his wife, wanting to take measure of her motives in the grand scheme of things. All three of the teenagers stilled, glancing warily at Jareth.

"It sounds like Sarah met Eleven. Thank god, she's alive. Mike will be so relieved," Nancy grinned, looking at Steve and Jonathan. Jonathan smiled as Steve sagged back, running a hand through his hair. Sarah frowned and cast them all a questioning gaze, still confused, and Nancy hastily explained who the girl was and what her history with the monster happened to be. As she finished, Sarah went rigid as Jareth stared blankly.  _How very interesting._

" _What?"_  She hissed in disgust upon learning of how Eleven was treated and raised from birth. Jareth bit back a smile, recognizing Sarah's innate love for the lost and mistreated. Still, he found himself curious about this Jane that Sarah had encountered. Filing away the bit of information, he found himself growing restless with useless talk.

"What is needed to close this portal? Sarah sensed it is spreading. She is correct. It has moved beyond this laboratory of your government." Jareth interjected in a slow drawl, drawing the group's attention. The teenagers frowned, shaking their heads.

"No, it's not that bad, we'd know." Nancy began and Jareth let out a sharp laugh, cutting her off.

"You  _don't,_  I can assure you. I can sense it in the air, in the ground, in the foundations of this town. It is spreading and it's gaining strength. We need to close this portal before it is too powerful for even me to handle." The teenagers blanched and he nodded. "Yes, even I have limits, I'm no god. I need to study it to understand how to close it. I can go to the source but we must avoid your government's knowledge. I also need to understand how it was opened. Who has knowledge of where the portal is and how it was opened if the girl cannot be found?"

The three teenagers glanced nervously between themselves as Nancy spoke. "Well, for starters, we'd need Eleven. She opened the gate to begin with. Maybe Sarah can find her, if she can do what you said she could. Then, I'd say Sheriff Hopper, my little brother and his friends who know Eleven. She trusts them. Will, Jonathan's brother, might be able to help, since for several weeks last year he was trapped in the Upside Down and understands it better than anyone else. Joyce, Will's mom, knows about it as well. She went in with Hopper to the Upside Down to get Will back. And us, obviously."

"For a confidential laboratory, it seems a lot of this town is remarkably aware of its dealings with other dimensions," Jareth remarked dryly. All of them stared at him sourly, including Sarah. He couldn't help but grin when she rolled her eyes at him.

"So, where are these mortals?" Jareth asked in exasperation again, drawing everyone's attention back to the task at hand. "Time is of the essence."

Nancy shrugged. "We can go get my brother and his friends and we can all meet at Jonathan's house, where Will and Joyce should be home. You two could go after Hopper and see if you can radio in on Eleven? She hasn't been seen in Hawkins in weeks, so wherever you saw her, it wasn't here. If…the Goblin King is ok with that, that is…" Nancy hastily added, her eyes widening in panic.

He smirked and nodded, satisfied with the initial plan. He glanced at Sarah, who nodded her approval. "We will meet at the residence in three hours' time, no longer. If the other mortals cannot be found in that time, we proceed without them. Understood?"

The others nodded and Jareth stood, taking Sarah's hand in his and pulling her to her feet. She grinned at him and looked him over as the others hastily tore off the bed, still a little wary of him. He frowned at her grin and she tugged on his hair and ran a hand up his plated armor. "You realize this isn't going to blend in. How about becoming Mr. Harrington for one more night?"

Jareth smirked and flicked his wrist, donning his teacher glamour. The others stiffened in shock as Sarah's smile widened and he looked over at the others who stared. "Well? Go get your mortal companions so we can solve this issue. What are you waiting for?"

They scrambled out of the room as he grinned and pulled Sarah close, leaning in and kissing her. "So it seems you do have a penchant for this glamor. I could sense it that first day. Do you deny it?"

"I'll never tell…" she teased, making him laugh. With a flick of his wrist, they disappeared from the room to start their search for the missing girl and the town sheriff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS - Methinks I need a fae female to discover him and fulfill all his wild fantasies before this fic is over. What do you think?


	16. Hide and Seek

"What's happening?! I don't understand! Why is he screaming like that?!"

Joyce's shrill cries barely carried over the agonizing screams ripping from Will's mouth as he twisted on the gurney, flailing like he was being burned alive. Sweat poured from his skin in rivulets making it where the nurses and doctors hurrying him along towards the infirmary were having a hard time keeping a grip on the boy's body to make sure his violent spasms didn't jerk him off the gurney. Behind them, Chief Hopper was being escorted by men in biohazard suits to another wing of the building, several paces behind the others. Joyce stayed focused on Will's uncontrollable convulsions while Mike shuffled behind, fear making his eyes look like saucers in his pale face.

"It  _hurts!_  Help me!  _Pleasegodhelpmeithurtssobad!_ "

Joyce sobbed as the nurses and doctors worked frantically, pulling him from the gurney and placing him on a padded table. Bob, Joyce's boyfriend, grabbed ahold of Joyce who jerked forward at hearing Will's pleas for help. Having been new to all this, just drug into their harrowing world of crazy other-dimensional monsters and alternate dimensions with world-toppling creatures a mere two hours ago, he was handling the terrifying scene rather well from Mike's perspective. "Honey, don't. Let the doctors work…" Bob spoke gently, keeping his hands tightly around Joyce's waist, pulling her away from Will as the boy continued to scream.

"Make it stop!  _MAKEITSTOP!_ _ **HELPMEHELPMEHELPME!**_ "

Mike was scared and at a loss, staying pinned to a far wall in the room they ended up in as he watched the nurses hold his friend down while the doctors took Will's temperature and gaped in shock as it registered over 106 F.

"That's not possible…how is he still alive?" One of them shouted as Will jerked violently again, letting out a shrill scream that almost didn't seem human.

"Will! Where does it hurt? Where does it hurt, Will?" One of the doctors asked loudly, plunging some kind of sedative into his arm as the others held him down. Mike scammed the man quickly, noticing how he seemed familiar with his friend, reading his name badge: Doctor Sam Owens, Director of Operations.

" _Everywhere!_   _ **Ithurtseverywhere!**_ "

"How did this happen?" Doctor Owens barked, looking over at the others, casting a brief glance Mike's way and making him scoot back several steps, wishing himself invisible at the moment. For all he knew, he'd be arrested and thrown in a cell for the rest of his life, knowing about their dirty little secret.

Joyce sobbed and shook her head frantically. "I don't know! I was down in the tunnels with Bob and Jim and he was just like this! Why is he like this? Why is he screaming like that?! Can't you help him?! Please help him! He's in pain!"

Joyce's voice continued to rise with Will's when suddenly the boy went deathly quiet and immediately slumped against the padded table in a sweat-soaked comatose state, his eyes fluttering closed and his face going slack. Joyce screamed Will's name and lurched forward, only for Bob's arms to tighten around her as Doctor Owens looked over the boy quickly, peeling his eyelids back and taking his pulse. He looked briefly relieved, wiping at his brow before he faced Joyce, raising his hands up to calm her.

"He's just unconscious, Ms. Byers. The medication I gave him is working."

Joyce stopped struggling and staggered into Bob, turning in his arms and sobbing quietly. Mike swallowed and looked over his friend in worry as the nurses set up IVs in his arms and tried to wrap him in bags of ice to lower his temperature. He jumped slightly when he noticed Doctor Owens staring at him with a frown.

"You're Will's friend?" He offered, giving Mike a polite smile. Mike nodded, not quite trusting the man yet but relaxing at the man's kind expression. He certainly looked approachable, compared to that scary silver-haired man that Eleven called 'Papa,' but Mike was skeptical. Still, he couldn't ignore the man's inquiry.

"Yes, sir." He shuffled nervously on his feet.

Doctor Owens looked back at Will and frowned then turned back to Mike. "What's your name, son?"

"Mike Wheeler," he replied, looking at the other adults in the room. Eventually, the other nurses and doctors left, leaving Joyce huddled against Bob and Will comatose on the padded table. Doctor Owens shifted, dragging Mike's attention back towards him.

"Can you tell me what happened, Mike?" He asked softly, tilting his head with another small smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Joyce look towards them, expectant. Suddenly nervous, he shrugged faintly.

"We were standing outside the car, near the hole on Merrill's farm, when you guys showed up. Men in biohazard suits and flame throwers went down the hole when we told them that's where Ms. Byers and Mr. Newby were, down there trying to save Chief Hopper."

Doctor Owens frowned. "Saving Chief Hopper? How'd you know he was down there and needed saving?" The man pulled a chair up and lowered himself into it so he was at eye level with Mike. Mike swallowed and looked at Joyce, who gave him a nod of encouragement.

"In his Now Memories," he said. Doctor Owens glanced back at Joyce, who'd since detangled herself from Bob and was stroking Will's hair off his forehead. Joyce motioned for Mike to continue and Doctor Owens looked back at him once more.

"His Now Memories. That day at school, when Will froze up, he said a monster from the Upside Down was after him. He'd been having these visions of the Upside Down and when he tried to stand up to him, the Shadow Monster got him," Mike began, watching Doctor Owens frown as he continued. "It was suddenly like a part of him, you know? Ever since then, he could kind of see what the Shadow Monster could see, from the Upside Down. We called them his Now Memories, since they were like memories to Will but he could see them in real-time, like they were happening while he gained them. It was like he was suddenly this Super Spy for the Shadow Monster. We asked him to draw what he saw and he drew these blue tunnels, then these weird castles and mazes. We couldn't figure out what those were about but Mr. Newby helped us figure out the blue tunnels were an underground map of the town. That's when Will saw him. It was Chief Hopper, in the tunnels. He was dying. So we went there, to save him. And when you guys showed up and went down the hole, he started screaming. It was really scary. He didn't sound like Will." Mike stopped, staring at Doctor Owens, expecting the man to struggle to believe him.

He didn't look surprised, only resigned. Mike's anxiety went through the roof at the calm acceptance from the doctor.

"That's what my field agents tell me, yes." Doctor Owens murmured, looking back over his shoulder at Will.

"What's going to happen to him?" Mike asked, his voice trembling.

"Right now, I'm not sure kid. We've got to run some tests. Are you hungry? We can get you some candy from the vending machines." Doctor Owens looked back at Mike and smiled. Mike relaxed despite his worry. Something about the soft edges of his gaze told Mike he could trust him.

"No thanks, but could I have some water?"

"Sure, kid." Doctor Owens laid a hand on Mike's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze as he rose, moving towards the door. He looked over at Joyce. "I'll get to the bottom of this, I pro-"

"Don't offer things you can't guarantee, Doctor Owens." Joyce's sharp tone made Mike blink. She looked up from Will's sleeping form, her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."

Doctor Owens shocked Mike by looking apologetic, simply turning and opening the door, leaving them all in the room with Will.

* * *

"Let me just grab Mike," Nancy commented, hurrying towards the stairs. "He should just be down in the basement, running a campaign with the boys." She didn't wait for their reply, rapidly descending the stairs. Steve watched Nancy leave the upstairs hallway and drug his keys out of his pocket as Jonathan leaned back against the wall, frowning.

"What?" Steve asked, curious what had him so introspective.

"How many do you think there are?" Jonathan murmured, glancing back at Steve. When Steve gave him a questioning glance, Jonathan shrugged, pointing at Nancy's bedroom door. "Dimensions. I mean, can you believe that? Sarah is married to an immortal King from another dimension. And Will was trapped in another one last year. So how many do you think there are?"

Steve visibly shuddered, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I don't  _want_  to know. I'm scared shitless and I only know of two so far. When I was outside, he asked me which dimension.  _Which dimension?!_  How am I supposed to respond to that?" Steve let out a snort of laughter edged with fear, then sobered immediately at Jonathan's wide-eyed stare. "I know! It's crazy! Every day I wake up and have to remind myself that my small little life is nothing when compared to this stuff. I mean, other dimensions? Monsters? Immortal Kings? I'm just….my mind can't handle it, man. I keep thinking this is just one big acid trip and I'll wake up in the hospital."

Jonathan frowned, opening his mouth to say something to Steve but he had already pushed off the wall, heading towards the stairs.

"Listen, I'm going to go get the car warmed up. I'll be outside, when Nancy has her kid brother, just come out and we'll get the others. I need to do something."

"Steve…" Jonathan started, watching Steve shrug off what he was about to say, already descending the stairs. Jonathan frowned, looking down at his hands as he stood, waiting for Nancy.

* * *

"Mike?" Nancy called, frowning as she descended into the basement. The lights near their card table were on but the basement appeared vacant. Sighing in frustration, she looked around then headed towards the basement door that led to the backyard, not seeing Mike or his bike outside. "Mike?" She called out, looking out over the yard. "Mike! Are you there?" Silence met her shouts.

Cursing under her breath, she turned and headed back upstairs, briefly hearing a car start and speed off. Frowning, she met Jonathan in the entry way who'd already started down the stairs, a matching frown on his face.

Nancy raised her hands in confusion. "Where's Steve?" She asked, looking around. Jonathan shrugged, looking out the front door window and heading towards it.

"He said he was warming up the car. Did you hear that? It sounded like a car…" He jerked open the door, Nancy on his heels, to see Steve's car driving down the road. They both groaned, casting a narrowed gaze at one another.

"Son of a bitch," Jonathan swore, grabbing his keys from his pocket. "Come on."

They hurried towards Jonathan's car and quickly slipped inside, Nancy shouting to her mother that she was going to pick up Mike from Will's house. Before her mother could reply, they'd already ran halfway across the yard.

"Mike wasn't in the basement and his bike was gone. How about swinging by Luke's on the way to Dustin's place? Maybe we'll get lucky there. We don't have time to worry about Steve. If he's bailed, we'll deal with that later," Nancy talked, ducking into the car and buckling herself in as Jonathan did the same and started the car. He nodded, peeling the car away from the curb once the engine roared to life with a loud squeal of loose belts.

"Got it," he replied, speeding down the street towards Luke Sinclair's house.

* * *

"Listen, if this damn thing is some kind of lizard, you're dead. I've got important stuff to do, man..." Steve started, only to have Dustin glare at him as they raced down the street towards Dustin's house.

"It's not a lizard!" He gritted his teeth and turned to stare out the window of the passenger side, his jaw tense as awkward silence filled the car.

"So, wait a sec, how big did you say it was?" Steve said to fill the silence, frowning as he thought over what Dustin had said earlier as he rushed up on his bike to Mike's house, nearly crashing into Steve's car as he saw Steve and grabbed his wrist, dragging him towards his car, explaining he needed him and it was a matter of life and death. He could see the fear in the kid's eyes and sighed, knowing he'd owe Nancy and Jonathan a big apology when he met them at Jonathan's place in a few hours. Right now, however, he was growing restless in helping the kid with what was probably nothing. He didn't dare piss off the Goblin King by not doing what was asked of him, but what if what the kid said was true? He couldn't leave the poor kid alone, if it turned out to be what Dustin said.

"It started out like this," Dustin said, demonstrating a few inches with his hand, "and now it's like this…" he trailed off, widening his hands to a few feet in width.

Steve groaned, rolling his eyes. "I swear to god, if this thing is nothing, I'm going to kill you…"

"It's not a damn lizard, ok?!" Dustin shouted, staring at Steve with anger.

"How do you know it's a demogorgon?" Steve grit his teeth, his car picking up speed as his anger rose.

"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat!" Dustin yelled, deadpanning Steve with a ' _Now What?'_  expression.

Steve blinked, watching Dustin stare at him with a sobered expression.  _Well, fuck._ He turned towards the road again, slamming his foot down on the gas pedal.

* * *

"Tell me, precious, do you think you'll miss this life?" Jareth whispered in Sarah's ear as they rematerialized outside Chief Hopper's house. Sarah frowned at his question, looking toward Jareth, her lips twitching briefly at his human glamour as his hand slipped in hers and he tugged her towards the front door. Even with the glamour dulling his looks, he still stood out like some kind of rock star and it made her smile faintly as he pulled her towards the house.

"Maybe a little," she replied, shrugging her shoulder as they walked up the few steps to the front door. "But I'd miss you more, so it's a loss I can live with. There's no contest, Jareth. I want you." She noticed the way his eyes canted towards hers and glowed possessively as his hand squeezed hers, making her shiver with delight. She was slightly alarmed at the depth of the love she already felt for him, but after admitting her feelings and him returning them, she'd plunged head first into the fire, consequences bedamned. It seemed Jareth was willing to burn to death with her, so some of her nervousness eased as she smiled. After all, if she really admitted the truth to herself, she'd fallen in love with him years ago and just hadn't realized it.  _At least one of us realized it,_  she thought, watching the way he held her hand firmly in his, his other resting on her hip.

Jareth leaned forward and rang the doorbell, casting an arm over her shoulders and pulling her close. She snickered at his action, burying her head in his shoulder briefly.  _What a human thing to do,_ she thought, feeling amused at his grip around her shoulder.

Jareth tilted his head towards her, frowning. "What is it?" He asked, looking annoyed and confused as they waited for several seconds under the covering of the porch.

"It's nothing. Just you, here, in this disguise, with your arm around my shoulders. You're being such a  _typical dude_ ," she replied with a slow grin, catching Jareth stilling as he leveled a teasing glare at her. He smirked and shook his head in amusement, leaning forward once more to ring the doorbell a second time and whisper in her ear.

"Are you complaining, love? You did ask me to blend in. Are my human mannerisms not up to your expectations?" He teased softly, lowering his free hand to curl it around her backside, gripping her ass. He grinned faintly and let out a low appreciative whistle. "Isn't this what human males do? How does the saying go?  _'Cop a feel?'_ Is this the appropriate place to fondle you, in front of the Sheriff's house? Do you think we'll be arrested? Even in this form, I appear older than you. I'd hate to give the wrong impression but I'm honest in my lust for you. As soon as this little escapade is over, prepare to be thoroughly ravished, love."

Sarah blushed furiously and gently batted his hand away, listening to his responding low chuckle. He leaned forward and nipped once more at her mouth, missing it by a few inches as she jerked away. They continued the teasing for a few seconds longer when Sarah grew impatient, not hearing anyone approach the door.

"Why don't you just magic us into the house?" She whispered after several seconds. He glanced over his shoulder. "I'm hesitant to blatantly use my magic, other than to move us, as I can mask that. I'm still not sure how powerful this creature is and if its magic could sense us. I sense it, so it'd only be fair to think it's powers work in a similar fashion." She tensed and he soothed her by stroking her back softly, canting her head up to meet his. "I won't let it harm you, love. Never."

She nodded, letting out a calming breath as his body comforted hers. As the pounding of her heart settled into a steady pulse, she looked around briefly and then leaned forward, peering into one of the windows. Nothing looked alive, everything covered in shadow with no lights of any kind on inside. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she figured this was the safest place to look for where the Chief had gone off to, the significance of this creature too important to leave information at the police station. Looking around, she spotted several rocks by the front door and leaned down to grab one. She saw Jareth's quizzical expression before she threw it with force into the window, shattering it. Jareth raised an eyebrow as Sarah grinned, using the sleeve of her jacket to break the rest of the glass away.

"Come on," she whispered, crawling into the window. "Let's do a little old-fashioned B&R. I'm sure after we explain what's going on, he'll forgive us."

Jareth smirked and looked over his shoulder briefly to make sure they hadn't attracted attention. Sufficiently satisfied, he followed her into the house through the window.

* * *

"You sure this is where it is?" Steve asked Dustin, staring at the cellar doors barricaded with chains in Dustin's back yard, several feet from the main house. Dustin nodded.

"Yep. I tricked it in there a few hours ago with my bologna and hockey gear, after I buried my mom's cat."

Steve blinked at that statement, glancing at Dustin who shrugged his shoulders. Shaking his head, wondering how this could be his life, he banged on the cellar door with the nail-studded bat he'd drug out from the trunk of his car.

Nothing but silence greeted them.

Sighing, Steve cast the flashlight towards Dustin, as it had grown dark. Dustin just stared, squinting in the light of the flashlight beam.

"Well, unlock it will ya?" He gestured impatiently at the chains bracing the door handle shut. "I don't have all night, remember?"

"I'm going, I'm going, geez." Dustin griped, leaning down to unlock the paddock. "What's got your panties twisted in a bunch?"

Steve snorted, rolling his eyes. "You don't even want to know," he replied, tapping his foot while Dustin worked. Dustin gave him a bored glare and Steve shrugged. "Trust me, you really don't want to know. It's safer that way."

Dustin frowned but stepped back as the chains fell away, fear back in his gaze. Steve's senses sharpened as Dustin's expression changed, gripping his bat and swinging the door open, casting the light of the flashlight down the cellar stairs. Frowning, looking back at Dustin who stared wide-eyed in fear, he moved towards the stairs and went down them.

As he descended, he immediately took in the smell.  _Jesus, something smells dead down here._  Uneasiness rippling through his frame, his eyes sharpening as he looked around the room, seeing nothing. Stumbling over something slippery, he caught his footing quickly and looked down. A slimy layer of green skin was on the floor, like a sac of some kind, torn open in several spots.

"What the fuck…" he whispered, picking it up with his bat, grimacing as it dripped and the smell assaulted his nose, making his eyes water. He gagged, trying to get the thing off his bat, but it was snagged in the sharp edges of the nails. As his flashlight jerked with his movement, a dark spot in the corner of the cellar caught his eye. "What the fuck…." He stared, jaw hanging open, suddenly ignoring the gooey mess caught on his bat.

"Yo, Dustin? You better get down here…" He shouted up the stairs, taking a closer step towards what he saw, trying to make sense of it.

"What? Did you find him? I…" Dustin hurried down the steps, seeing the sac still stuck on Dustin's bat. "Oh shit…"

"Look," Steve said, jerking Dustin's attention his way. He leaned forward and shined his flashlight in what appeared to be a tunnel carved into the side of the cellar.

"Oh  _shit_ …" Dustin gaped, coming to stand beside Steve and stare down the hole. They nervously looked at each other.

"No fucking way…." They both whispered, looking back towards the black tunnel.

Off in the distance in the forest near Dustin's home, a chorus of inhuman shrieks filled the silent air.

* * *

Sarah squinted in the darkness of Sheriff Hopper's home. She frowned at the musty scent in the air, looking back as Jareth climbed through the window, the broken shards of glass crunching under his shoes.

"I don't think anyone's been here in a while," she murmured, looking around nervously. She shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms as Jareth stretched up to his full height once in the room, coming to stand beside her and place a palm against the small of her back. He frowned faintly, scanning the room with narrowed eyes. She leaned against him as he turned, looking back at her.

"You are correct. I sense no life, the air is stale. Are you sure this is the address?"

Sarah nodded, looking around. "This is what the phonebook said that we checked at the general store before coming here. I don't understand. Where's he staying then?"

Jareth's mouth thinned. "Somewhere without prying eyes."

Sarah's gaze met his as he turned towards her. He put a finger to his mouth and looked around, moving towards the hallway. He looked back at her, holding out a hand. "There's a bedroom down the hall. The bed is made. Shall we try and call this girl? Here is as safe a place as any. I will shield us in the bedroom, in the event this place is under surveillance, despite not sensing anything unusual. My guess is yes, if this man is not living here."

Sarah swallowed and nodded, stepping forward and taking his hand in hers. Together, they walked towards the bedroom. Nervously, Sarah looked around the room, realizing it was a guest bedroom with the plain walls and lack of personal effects. She laid down on the bed, keeping her shoes on, nervous they'd have to escape in a hurry. Now that they'd returned, everything seemed more real with real stakes. Shuddering faintly yet trying to put on a brave face, she leaned back and let her head rest against one of the pillows, watching as Jareth joined her, pulling her to him. She rested her head on his chest and he gently brushed her hair away from her temple, kissing her forehead.

"It will be alright, love. I will be going with you this time," he murmured, easing the nervousness in her body she didn't know she had. "Close your eyes and think of her. I will help guide you."

Sarah nodded, closing her eyes. She felt Jareth's warm embrace and a flash of light against her eyelids.  _A crystal,_ she thought feeling the atmosphere in the room change, the ward casting taking effect. Exhaling slowly, she forced herself to relax against Jareth, keeping her breathing even. Eventually, she felt herself sink into an odd trance, the sound sucking out of the room, leaving a silent void that pressed against her skin.

Tensing, she opened her eyes, struggling to breathe as darkness met her vision. Her breathe came in small warm puffs of moisture and she shivered at the immediate cold, trying not to let panic overtake her. Her shoes felt wet, the warm rhythm of water lapping at her ankles, as she stood once more in the In-Between.

_I'm here._

Warm arms encircled her and she closed her eyes again, leaning back as her panic immediately washed away. She felt Jareth before she saw him, turning slowly to face him as his eyes moved around the In-Between with a sharp intensity before lowering to hers. He smoothed a hand over her cheek and leaned down to kiss her. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. If you sense something wrong, I will return us. Do you trust me?"

Sarah smiled faintly and nodded, relaxing under his grip as his arms slipped around her waist. "Always."

"Think of her, Sarah. Think of Jane."

She turned again, thinking of Jane and concentrating as she stared out into the black void of the In-Between, Jareth's hands on her waist, anchoring her confidence. "Jane? Jane, are you there?"

"You should not be here, they can find you."

Both of them turned slowly, staring in the face of the girl who stared back at them both with a stony expression clouding her eyes. Jareth's hands tensed against her waist and Sarah smiled faintly.

"They? Is there more than one?"

"Yes," Jane replied, looking at Jareth with intensity. She felt Jareth tense and watched in silence as they dueled gazes for several moments. Jane blinked, her head tilting curiously to the side, as she peered at him with new eyes. Jareth said nothing in response and eventually she watched Jane take a tentative step back, sucking in a sharp breath. Sarah's eyebrows raised in surprise before the girl seemed to regain her poise and looked back over at Sarah.

"He is powerful. That is good," she replied, offering a tentative smile. Sarah smiled in return but found her smile fading quickly as she remembered their mission.

"We need your help," she started, looking between Jareth and Jane. Jareth's expression was one of placid indifference, telling her he was still guarded when it came to Jane.

"I know. I am returning now. I saw what is happening, in this place." Jane looked briefly away a moment and their gaze followed.

Jareth tensed and let out a low growl of warning, Sarah gasping in horror as she stared, watching countless demogorgons, still smaller than the one that attacked her but large in their sheer numbers, tearing into men in biohazard suits with guns. Jane stepped towards them and Sarah clinged to Jareth, who remained tense beside her.

"They have taken the laboratory," she said to them both in a low whisper. "We must be quiet, or they will sense us."

"Where are you? Are you close? Jareth thinks if he gets close, he can help close the portal, but that was before we knew there were so many….dear god, how are we going to take them all on?" Sarah whispered, feeling Jareth's fingers like an iron brand around her waist. Still, he said nothing.

"I am close. Your friend will sense me when I arrive and…." Jane stopped, staring intensely at the scene, and Sarah felt Jareth jerk. Sarah looked between the two, wondering what made them both still into silence.

"Go…now…" Jane whispered faintly. She turned, staring at them with wide eyes. "Now!" She screamed.

Sarah opened her mouth to question her when she felt the cumulative gaze of all the demogorgons snap towards them.  _Oh, fuck. FUCK! FUUUUCK!_ Her mouth opened to scream but fear choked out the noise, strangling the sound in her throat.

Jareth roared her name and grabbed her, ripping her away from the darkness. She tried to scream but the air was sucked out of her lungs and instantly she was in the bedroom once more. Jareth bolted up into a sitting position, pulling her across his lap as the windows in the room vibrated and shattered.

"Be still," Jareth warned in a low voice, his tone sharp and cold. Sarah was too afraid to move, staring into his gaze with fear.

Just as they relaxed, thinking the worst had passed, they stiffened when they heard the low growl of about ten creatures outside and in the hallway.

"Get behind me!" He yelled, conjuring a bright crystal and lighting up the room in blinding light.

Sarah scrambled across his lap, skirting across the bed to shield herself behind him. She moaned low in fear as a loud combined hiss and inhuman shriek filled the air once more, the demogorgons pouring into the room, snapping their horrific mouths at the bed. She lost count past ten as they continued to press into the room. Despite their skin bubbling and smoking at the light, they advanced, closing in on both of them. Jareth's crystal blazed brighter and warded them away from directly jumping onto the bed. Still, she felt his body tense, seeming to see what Sarah did. They were outnumbered and at a disadvantage. Jareth was right, they were able to sense his magic. They flanked the edges of the room and bed, avoiding as much of the light as possible, seemingly realizing its effect on them.

"Jareth…" Sarah whispered in fear as Jareth growled again, hunching forward and raising his hand in the air. The crystal he held blazed brighter but the demogorgons seemed to push forward, regardless of the pain. Several tensed and jumped forward, crashing in mid-air as they sprang towards the bed.  _A protection spell,_ her mind immediately supplied. Still, they kept trying to break through, hurtling themselves against the spell. Jareth tensed as they pounded more furiously, claws and mouths snapping as they swarmed the bed, the spell the only thing holding them back. They kept at it, pounding away at the spell, the noise becoming a dull roar as they all continued the action, more and more, pounding against the invisible wall faster and with more force. He looked back at her grimly, his mouth in a thin line. "Jareth, port us out of here! Jareth?"

"There's too many of them," he gritted between his teeth. "It is taking most of my effort to keep them at bay. I can push through but I can't guarantee they won't follow or get through before we're gone. There's only one option, love, but you're not going to like it."

Sarah froze, her eyes widening as she realized why his mouth had thinned into a grim line.

"No! No, no, no. Don't you dare!" She yelled, jerking back towards the wall.

Jareth's arm snaked out and gripped her wrist fiercely, his eyes blazing as he hoisted her up against hm. "Don't fight me, love. Please. Please, let me do this."

Her heart squeezed in sudden terror, frozen in her chest, feeling like it was ripping at the roots of her soul.  _He's going to portal me out of here and stay behind._

"No, Jareth! No! NO!" She screamed wildly, wrapping her arms tightly around him, thinking if she squeezed hard enough, his magic wouldn't work on her.

"I love you," He whispered against her ear, the crystal burning so bright she had to close her eyes.

"JARETH! NO!  _Nononononono!_   _ **JARRRETTTHHH!**_ "


	17. For My Will is as Strong as Yours

Time seemed to freeze as Jareth summoned his magic, making Sarah’s limbs shake with rage and despair as she screamed Jareth’s name, the noise stretching from a loud wounded noise to a hoarse broken whisper on her lips as her lungs gave out. The crystal Jareth held was blinding, stealing her eyesight and scalding her skin even with her eyes closed and her hair shielding her face from where she kept herself pressed tightly against Jareth’s torso. Sarah briefly registered wetness against her cheeks as tears streamed down her face in a small portion in the back of her mind. The dull thundering roar of the attack on the protection spell from the numerous demogorgons continued to gain momentum, nearly deafening them, telling her they had mere seconds before they were overrun.

She could feel the crackling sensation of his magic creeping over her skin, similar to the pins and needles she felt when her foot fell asleep except much worse. She’d never noticed the sensation until now and wondered why, curbing the urge to scrub at her skin as she was afraid removing herself from Jareth would allow him to port her away from the scene and she refused to leave him. Suddenly, she knew his magic was forming around her, not quite complete, and she had to do something to interrupt the weaving of the magic before it took hold. Again, she wondered how she realized this but grasped onto the knowledge like a lifeline. One thing ripped through her mind at that moment and it was the powder keg that ignited the next several nanoseconds before Jareth’s magic could take hold and transport her away from the fight. _No more!_

As her ire grew, Sarah felt something vicious well from her chest and explode into pure molten fury as the pins and needles sensation stung at her skin, trying to combat her rage but failing. A scream so loud, the walls of the bedroom seemed to tremble, tore from her throat. She felt Jareth’s jerk of surprise and leapt on him then, spurred by that awful fury that had welled up inside her, knocking him over onto the bed and pinning him down, ripping the crystal orb from his strong grip. As he roared at her from where she had pinned herself on top of him, she felt the crackling sensation of the portal magic dissipate and gave into the energy of the moment that seemed to erupt from some elemental level deep inside her.

 ** _“NO MORE!”_** She screamed, realizing in the back of her mind with a small sliver of fear that her voice had taken on a slightly inhuman quality.

Suddenly, the creatures screamed in combined unison as the bedroom walls seemed to tremble and then disintegrate in a loud echoing explosion. As she screamed, her lips curled into a cold grin as she picked up on the fear in their voices. _Go to HELL!_

The demogorgons seemed to sense the change in tide simultaneously, letting out a series of terrifid shrieks, shifting to leave in unison. Snarling, Sarah jerked the crystal in her hand, freezing them in mid-launch. She had no idea how she did all this, it just came to her and she was too angry to consider the consequences of her actions, giving into the sweep of the magic coursing through her. Her mind and body were working on pure unfiltered rage. As the walls crumbed away, a pink light began to glow in the place where they once were. As she stared, fascinated, she realized she could make out the shadowy scene of the Upside Down beyond it and realized immediately want to do. _Go back to where you belong and stay out of my dimension and the Underground, you bastards!_

The crystal burned her hand but she didn’t care, so caught up in her vengeance at the monsters, at Jareth for daring to stay behind and leave her, that part of her relished the pain. It felt like she was wielding a piece of the sun in her hand and being burned to ash but she didn’t care. _NO MORE!_

Sarah raised the crystal further as she felt Jareth begin to struggle under her, knowing she only had a few moments left before his strength allowed him to gain the upper hand once more. As he tensed and moved to launch up at her, she turned away from him and slammed the orb down with all the force she could muster into the ground. As it shattered, so did the thin membrane binding the dimensions and the demogorgons flew back towards the glowing pink light, the sickening sounds of their bodies hitting the barrier and then being wetly rearranged as blood and tissue fragmented into smaller parts to filter through the thin impediment keeping the two dimensions from blurring together. Suddenly, the shrieks ceased, followed by a wet crunching noise, reaching her ears and making her shudder until nothing remained. Instantly, they were gone and the bedroom walls reappeared with a rough slam, shutting down the portal between worlds.

Sarah swayed and blinked, letting her hand drop as the rage cooled inside her chest to a slow ember. Nothing was left in the aftermath of the fight but the loud gasps of her and Jareth, as the magic she’d harnessed returning the portal back had also corrected the destruction of the bedroom. She blinked, looking down at her hand, seeing it dripping blood from where her skin had been ripped off her hand from holding the white hot orb. Through the shock of what just happened, the pain had yet to register on her senses and she stared, blinking at the injury in confusion. She stiffened, cold sweat breaking out over her skin when she heard another pack of cries in the far distance and Jareth seemed to snap back to himself in that moment and rip her off her knees down onto him, gripping her and portaling them from the room, that awful tingling sensation making her skin crawl returning with the action. This time she welcomed it.

“What the hell were you doing?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been?!” She heard him yell as her eyes cleared and she looked up, taking in their surroundings. She didn’t recognize the place but could tell they were still Aboveground. He’d taken her palm and healed it then was rattling her shoulders fiercely, willing her attention back to him as he shouted. Sarah’s head swirled faintly but she focused sharply on him when she heard his words.

Something snapped in her and she launched herself at him, sending them both crashing to the floor, fists and nails flying as she slapped and clawed at him, agony and heartbreak tearing at her.

“What was I doing!? **_WHAT WAS I DOING?!_** _NO!_ You don’t get to say that to me! Not after what you tried to do!” She felt him grip her wrists in his iron hold and twist them roughly once they hit the floor, pinning her beneath him. She spit in his face as he opened his mouth to yell something again and screamed over the snarl she heard come from his throat. “ ** _No!_** You do _NOT_ get to tell me that was dangerous! You tried to leave me! You could have died! **_DIED, JARETH!_** How fucking _DARE_ you assume I could live without you, you arrogant son of a bitch! _How fucking dare you!_ I _told_ you this could destroy me! You almost destroyed me, Jareth.” Her screams tore at her throat until her voice was a raspy whisper and she sobbed faintly in the back of her throat but she noticed how he’d gone quiet, his eyes molten, as he stared at her from where he had her pinned on the floor, his breath tearing from his chest in rough pants. “ _I love you so much_ …don’t you _ever_ do that to me again….”

She trembled under his body’s grip on hers and burst into tears, the vision of his angry profile clouding against the onslaught. His grip seemed to loosen as a strangled noise tore from his chest and her rage was back once more for his ability to make her cry. Anger and relief warred within her and she spontaneously grasped his shirt lapels while his grip was loose, forcefully slamming him down against her, not caring that the action knocked the wind from her lungs and she couldn’t breathe for a moment, snagging his lips with hers and arching her hips up against his. She needed him with an intensity in that moment that frightened her.

 

* * *

 

 

Jareth was so angry with Sarah, he had to force himself to ease his grip on her as he rattled her shoulders, fearing that the amount of power Sarah had expelled had hurt her, watching her to see how she responded. She seemed completely coherent, easing some of his worst fears. Still, he was in awe, feeling a mixture of horror and admiration for the amount of power she had been able to tap into. _How was that possible?_ It dawned on him that it must be her mortality. The bonding spell had not changed her, only tied her life to his own vitality and his magic. Briefly, fear flickered in the back of his mind at this revelation but he forced himself to control it. He knew another round of that without the proper training, she could easily injury or kill herself as magic was unruly and unpredictable. She could not be allowed to do that again.

As his anger mounted and he had yelled at her, she’d gone berserk. He’d been startled at the amount of rage inside her and she had managed to shove him to the floor before he could react. Still, his sheer strength had him gaining the upper hand within moments, pinning her under him as she railed at him, snagging him a few times on the jawline before he’d been able to secure her wild bucking form, drawing blood with her claws.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to ease her anger, hearing her furious tirade and feeling his own anger cool. He realized, too late, the despair in her voice at the thought of losing him. That had been what entered his mind when those creatures had attacked - _Why had there been so many?_ – and he’d rashly chosen to sacrifice himself rather than put her in harm’s way. A selfish action, knowing he could accept his own death but not the thought of living without her.

Hearing the desolation in her sobs made him pause and before he realized what she’d been doing, she pulled him to her and ground her hips against his as her mouth found his and sucked at his tongue, pulling it into her mouth.

He hissed, feeling his body instantly explode into near painful arousal. He shifted his body, pushing her down into the floor with his hips and erection that was pressing painfully against the zipper of his jeans. She moaned and he had to force himself to let go of her wrists to pull her mouth away from his, his fingers gripping her jaw. He stared down at her and, unable to stop himself, rolled his hips suggestively against her mound, her legs having opened and curled around his waist. She let out a low moan and opened her eyes, her hands still fisted in his shirt.

If she didn’t stop, he’d be inside her in moments. She had to understand what she was doing to him and he made sure of it, sweeping her body with a searing gaze.

“Sarah, I have very little control left, don’t push..” He started, continuing to grind his hips in a small circular motion against hers, nearly bringing himself to the brink as he watched her arch up and moan again underneath him, her eyes closing as her brow knit. Her nipples were outlined against her shirt, hardened to tight little nubs waiting for his mouth.

“I swear to Christ Jareth if you don’t shut up and fuck me, I’m going to kill you…” She whispered, opening her eyes again and staring up at him in challenge, her black hair splayed out on the floor in a fan of black ink.

All air left his lungs in a loud exhale as his cock twitched at her words. _Finally._ He shuddered and closed his eyes, his control snapping as he whisked their clothing and his glamour away with a flick of his wrist, reaching down and thrusting two fingers hotly into her, stretching her. No matter how much he wanted to plow into her, he needed to make it bearable for her. He wanted her first time to be enjoyable. She shrieked and moaned, arching her hips up with a soft pant.

“Jareth, fuck me…” She whined, panting, as he lifted his hips slightly and lowered his mouth, anchoring his teeth lightly against her collar bone while his fingers explored quickly, letting out a low groan at feeling the slickness at her opening. She angled her hips and began to rock against his hand. Oh, she was ready, but first he needed to do something. He let out a small laugh at the disappointment in her voice, soothing her as he explored, thrusting a third finger inside her, feeling for her innocence but avoiding her clit, hearing her hiss of disappointment, knowing he was onto her.

“Oh, no you don’t. Not until I’m inside you. Calm down, little cat, I am trying to make this easier for you..” He stilled and felt the barrier, thrusting his fingers roughly up into her, tearing through the little nuisance and feeling her tense and let out a low moan of pain. _You’re mine now, pet._

His mouth rose and met hers, claiming her lips in a consuming thrust of his tongue as he filtered his magic into his fingers, healing the small wounds his action had caused. He felt her relax and his cock twitched fiercely with the agonizing need to be inside her and feeling her come around him.

Not waiting for permission, he removed his hand and positioned the thick head of his cock against her opening. Stroking her tongue with his and distracting her with the force of his kisses, he thrust himself into her with one long savage stroke. She immediately screamed into his mouth as he felt her tight channel fist up, her inner muscles clamping around him against the immediate intrusion.

“Bloody hell,” He groaned against her mouth, forcing himself to still as he saw stars in the back of his head, his cock twitching at the warm, wet embrace of being inside her. Her inner muscles massaged him in their effort to get used to the invading presence and he almost came right there, only stopping himself through sheer willpower alone. He’d wanted this for so long but he was adamant they’d both find release. So he rested there, unmoving, buried inside her and occupying his territory, until he felt her inner muscles eventually give. Only then, once he’d regained control, did he begin to thrust slowly, reaching down and finding her little center of pleasure and teasing it between his fingers.

She gripped his shoulders so tightly, he felt the sting of her nails digging into his skin. Her eyes flew upwards and met his gaze as she moaned and her head fell back, gasping out something he couldn’t make out for a moment. He was so distracted with his own pleasure he had to lean down and ask her to repeat her words, rubbing his cock deep inside her with a small circular thrust of his hips while she was impaled on him.

She trembled and let out another long moan, her eyes fluttering closed as she gasped. “Oh, _god._ You were right...”

He panted, forcing his body to relax as he ground into her, clenching his jaw at the sensation. “Right about what, pet?”

“It… _throbs_ …deep inside me. _Help me_ ….” She moaned again, her breath coming in slow pants as he worked his hips and guided her how to grip his lower body with her ankles, finding her legs and placing them at the right angle and showing her how to tighten them. As she repeated the action, he hissed, feeling her inner muscles clamp down on him.

He shuddered at her words. “I’ll make it go away,” he promised darkly as he began to thrust harder and quicker into her. She moaned, her eyes opening to meet his as he moved atop her, pulling out far enough just the tip of his cock teased at her opening, then thrusting back in all the way to the hilt.

“Put your fingers where mine are, love..” He panted, feeling his balls tighten, knowing if he went any quicker he’d be close to losing control. He was determined to make sure she peaked with him. She did as he asked and he adjusted her hips, angling them upwards, roughly exposing her to him as he leaned up and began to pummel down into her in hard, fast strokes.

He threw his head back, letting out a low groan, forcing his body to skate on the razor edge precipice of orgasm until he felt her tense and scream, her inner muscles gripping and pulsing, signaling her release. He held himself off for a few more thrusts to stretch out her release as long as he could and then let himself go, allowing her orgasm to draw his own from him, pounding into her and then stilling, grinding his hips against hers with him buried in at the hilt, exploding with the most satisfying orgasm of his life.

 

* * *

 

 

Sarah sagged under him, her eyes closed as she tried to control the pounding of her heart. _Holy Christ._ Atop her, Jareth struggled to remain in position as his orgasm left him, the long agonized groan that tore from his throat making her body tremble with an echoing satisfaction. She unhooked her ankles and skirted her fingers across his chest, soothing him. Eventually, he twisted her body, spooning her against his back, his semi-erect cock nestled between her legs and pressing against her opening.

“Jesus,” she let out a slow breath, swallowing thickly as her insides clenched as she remembered the harsh lines of Jareth’s lust-filled face while he thrust into her.

“Mmm, yes…” She felt Jareth whisper beside her ear where his body was pressed against hers. She felt his cock twitch and harden again and she blushed, not sure if she could take him again so soon.

He surprised her by gently lifting her leg, not asking her to move, dropping gentle kisses on her shoulder as he pressed his hips against hers after angling her body and his gently, pressing inside her with ease. She gasped, still struggling to accommodate his sheer size – _Jesus, he was **big**_ – but he continued to shock her by whispering how much he loved her and slowly moving against her, not requiring her to move, the tender pull of his erection inside her bringing her close to another orgasm but not quite there. Still, she moaned at feeling him move inside her, it was wonderful. His smooth thrusts were tempered enough that while his size still made her wince faintly at the deep fullness, the pleasure of his thrusts overrode any lingering pain. When she brought one of his hands gripping her waist up to her mouth, laying a soft kiss against his palm, she felt him stiffen and pulse inside her, letting out a strangled groan. She held his hand against her breast as he orgasmed, feeling his hot release flood inside her, reaching her own sense of deep satisfaction that she was able to bring him to those heights.

As he stilled and pulled her against him, still settled within her, he let out a soft exhale. “I’m sorry, precious.”

“Why?” She whispered. “Do you have any idea how much it satisfies me feeling you inside me? I don’t have to join you every time to enjoy it, Jareth. I love you.”

His arms tightened around her and she smiled. “I love you too, precious.” His words were soft and sincere and her heart clenched so tightly she felt tears press hotly against her lids.

As they relaxed against the floor, Sarah let her eyes roam. “Where are we?”

Jareth let out a soft chuckle, pulling himself from her with what she sensed was disappointment. “My Aboveground residence.” He laid a quick kiss to her shoulder and pulled her into his arms, lifting her as he stood and moving towards another area of the house. She blinked at his words, looking back at him as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She blushed faintly as he looked over her hotly, the look of a satisfied male apparent in his features. _Wow, he really had needed that as much as I did._ There was a contentment in his face she hadn’t seen before.

“Your what?” She asked, noticing the elegant simplicity of the house as he carried her down a hallway towards a bathroom at the end. As his magic brought the lights in the room on, displaying a small but gorgeous bathroom of carved white marble, she blinked and opened her mouth to question why he was blatantly using his magic in a dimension that it could be traced by their enemy, Jareth had already begun to explain.

“My Hawkins residence. This place is shielded much more heavily as I had prepped it before I arrived as I customarily do when needed. We are safe here, little cat.” He placed her gently on her feet and tugged her into the shower, shielding her body with his against the initial icy blast of the water from the shower head once it started. He leaned forward then, grabbing a bottle that was nestled on a metal rack and pouring some of the scented contents into his hands. Lathering them, he rubbed his hands over her shoulders, down her breasts and between her thighs, washing away the remnants of their lovemaking. Sarah sighed faintly and smiled, closing her eyes and letting him wash her.

Eventually, once she was washed, he kneeled down and pulled her hips towards his mouth with his hands, tugging one knee over his shoulder. She colored faintly but gasped as she felt his tongue probe between her legs, sucking on her nub as his fingers gently thrust upwards. He kept her like that, pinned to the wall, teasing her towards the edge again and again until she couldn’t stand it anymore and begged him for release.

“Please, Jareth. I can’t stand it..I need you…”

His mouth brought her once more to the very edge and then he stood sharply, splaying her legs wide and anchoring her against the tiled wall, thrusting roughly up inside her. She moaned softly, twisting her hands in his hair as his mouth found hers, devouring her. Two, three, four heavy strokes that dragged his cock across her clit and she dissolved, screaming and bucking against him in a hoarse cry, dimly hearing his strangled groan against her lips as he stiffened and joined her.

They rested like that, his wet forehead pressed against hers, not moving, for several minutes. Eventually, he eased himself out of her, careful to be gentle as she winced in pain at the action, apologizing softly to her and washed them both again, this time with no hidden motives.

“Forgive me, love. I just can’t seem to get enough. I can heal you…” He began and she stilled his lips with a faint kiss.

“It’s okay,” she murmured and smiled, reaching up to push his wet hair out of his eyes. “I kind of knew that’d happen. It’s to be expected, right? I’ll be fine. I just need to rest for a little while. We need to find the others, I’m worried they’re in danger.”

His forehead pressed against hers again as he kissed her gently then nodded and quickly finished washing them both, stepping with her out of the shower. He dried them both immediately with a spell and pulled her to him, kissing her once more – reaffirming his words with action that he couldn’t seem to get enough. She allowed him to fondle her body and kiss her but drew back with a faint laugh when she felt him harden again against her stomach.

“You’re going to kill me. Come on, let’s get dressed.” He grinned faintly and let her go, watching her move towards the closet. She blushed and looked back at him, watching how he stared at her with heavy-lidded eyes. “Um, do I have clothes here?”

“Yes,” he supplied, not lifting his gaze from perusing her body, gesturing to the closet closest to her as he flicked his wrist and was once more in his teacher glamor, albeit in a different pair of shirt and pants. She turned and opened the closet, sucking in a sharp breath as she saw the feminine clothes there. Reaching inside, thumbing through some of the shirts and pants, she noticed they were all in her size.

Narrowing her eyes playfully at him, she slipped into a bra and panties that she found in a row of drawers lining the closet and began to dress quickly in a pair of faded jeans and a loose t-shirt. “Already had my size and everything. Someone was pretty sure they’d get their way…” she teased faintly.

He smirked as his eyes roamed over her, watching her dress. “What can I say, pet, I knew what I wanted and I wasn’t going to stop until you were mine.”

Knowing she should remind him that his arrogance had already caused numerous fights between them, instead she abashedly felt a sense of satisfaction sweep through her knowing he found her so irresistible. It made her feel more secure since she felt the same and it evened the playing field. She blushed again and sighed, rolling her eyes playfully and hearing a small low chuckle behind her in response, tying her hair in a loose bun with a brush and a hair clip she found in one of the closet drawers.

“We need to discuss your earlier outburst, love. That level of power is…concerning..” He drawled, his voice nearer to her as she slipped on some socks and tennis shoes. She stilled, frowning and looking back at him, noticing the concern flickering in his eyes as he stepped up behind her. She turned and allowed him to embrace her, resting his hands on her hips.

“I don’t really know what happened, I was on auto-pilot for most of it. I just knew if I’d lost you, I couldn’t bear it. I sort of snapped and something clawed its way out of me.” She shuddered, remembering the events from earlier and the sickening knowledge that she’d probably killed all those creatures by shoving them so roughly through world barriers. His mouth tugged in a faint frown but he rubbed his palms against her back, trying to soothe her.

“I feel part of this is my fault, love. I didn’t think of what it might be like for a mortal to wield my magic. Had I known…” He began, only for her to pull back and blink in confusion.

 _Mortal? What?_ Her brows knitted in confusion as she tried to understand his words, at a loss. “But our bond, didn’t it…?”

“You’re still mortal, Sarah. Long-lived, frozen at your current age, due to being bound to my magic and vitality, but I can’t change your species.” He answered, interrupting her. She blinked, not expecting that answer. “Part of my magic is fueled by mortal wishes. You, being a mortal with your own imagination and wishes, which is stronger than anyone I’ve encountered in centuries, with my ability to harness it and also tap into others? I didn’t realize the potency of the combination. I had assumed you would not be able to grasp that much power. You must not do that again, Sarah. Not until you’ve been properly trained by me. Magic is an element of nature and that level of power is hard to control. It would be like summoning a hurricane to do your bidding.”

“But what about the changelings? You said the lost children of the Labyrinth were no longer human, so I thought when we were bound I’d…” She gestured between them, shaking her head. _I’m still human?_

“They were lost to the Labyrinth, Sarah. You never were. The magic of the Underground couldn’t change you because you’re the Champion, just bind to you. You’d proven your worth to it, to me. ‘For my will is as strong as yours’ – remember?” Jareth briefly smiled as Sarah blinked again, finding all this hard to understand.

“So, what are you saying? I’m more powerful than…you?” She gaped, watching him stare at her and then shift uneasily on his feet, his eyes meeting her in a quiet challenge. His face was a mask but his silence gave her the answer she required. _Holy shit._

“I know that makes you uncomfortable and I’m sorry,” She started, brushing her hands against his cheeks, making sure his gaze stayed steadily on hers as he stiffened, knowing she’d voiced what he was thinking. “I never wanted any of this power, Jareth. I still don’t. I just want you. Is there…a way for you to…take it from me? Like channel it, maybe?”

That seemed to be the one thing that fractured the mask on his face as he stared at her. His eyes briefly widened and she smiled faintly. She really didn’t want this kind of power, not really. “You would…do that?” He whispered, looking stunned. She smirked faintly. For a man that didn’t show much emotion, even to the woman he loved, he looked positively flabbergasted.

“Well, _yeah._ It’d be better in your hands than mine anyways.” As his stunned gaze stared into her eyes, she shifted her tone to a small sharp warning. “But so help me god, Jareth, if you pull that kamikaze shit again on me, I will make sure you spend the rest of your natural life regretting it if you manage to live through it. Understood?”

He grinned and laughed then, making her gasp faintly at the beauty of his smile even under the glamour, kissing her hungrily for a few seconds and then cupping her cheeks, staring at her with an odd light in his eyes. “You always surprise me, precious.”

“Why? Because I don’t want or even need that kind of power? I know you’ll eventually show me how to use it but right now, you’re the trained one. You’ll need everything you can get your hands on to deal with this mess. There were so many, Jareth. I don’t…” She swallowed, shaking her head, fear bleeding through her words. “I don’t know if we’re going to be able to close the portal at the lab. Jane said they’d taken it. Those things, they must know that if it’s closed, they can’t access us anymore. They’ll be guarding it with everything they have. It’ll be like going into the lion’s den with who knows how many of them ready and waiting. I’m so scared…”

He crushed her to him and shushed her, pressing his lips against her temple as her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around his waist.

“Before, I would have said we should be heading to the Underground and shielding my realm as much as possible and leaving those here to fend for themselves. This is their mess. But now, with your power, we might stand a chance, love. Don’t be frightened.”

She pulled back and stared up at him, squaring her shoulders. “So what do I do? To give you this power?”

Jareth smiled faintly and simply raised a hand, turning his wrist and conjuring a crystal. Handing it to her, she reached for it and watched in fascination as the crystal shifted instead of popping into nothing, rippling like water into a faint effervescent rope that twirled lightly around their wrists. As it settled and tightened, Sarah felt something lift from her chest, making her slightly dizzy with the sensation. As she swayed and blinked, she watched Jareth’s frame turn rigid as his face contorted in surprise and shock, his eyes snapping shut as he wrestled internally. He let out a slow hiss and clenched his fist, the rope growing brighter on the end that was bound to him, hers fading to a small glow while his seared so bright his wrist turned pink from the heat.

Before she could voice her concern, the rope faded and she still felt oddly empty but the sensation was slowly fading. His eyes opened and the strength in his mis-matched gaze positively glowed. She’d have been frightened at the look in his eyes if she didn’t trust or love him so fiercely. She watched him as his wrist seemed to heal and he grinned faintly. This was a new side of the Goblin King and with so much power, she hoped he could do what needed to be done. He sensed her unease and kissed her with such gentleness, she immediately relaxed.

“Your friend has arrived. Shall we go?” Jareth murmured, pulling away from her and surprising her. She nodded and let him portal them to Jane, noticing she no longer felt the odd pins and needles against her skin and that was fine by her.


	18. Closing In

“Jesus Christ, where is everyone?” Jonathan murmured in frustration, slamming the car door shut on the driver’s side a little harder than necessary as he stomped back from the Henderson home. Nancy blinked, looking up from her map of Hawkins where she’d begun looking up Sheriff Hopper’s home, hoping to run into Jareth and Sarah, staring at him. “Dustin too?”

Jonathan nodded and sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he looked over at Nancy. “I’m starting to get worried. Mike, Luke, Dustin? Do you think…” He trailed off as his eyes widened and then started the car with a fast jerk, the engine roaring to life as Jonathan already began to shift gears, peeling away from the curb.

“You’re not suggesting…” Nancy started, only to swallow her fears as Jonathan’s gaze cast her way again from the road.

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting, Nancy. We have to get home.”

He focused once more on the road and Nancy had to brace herself against the dashboard of the car while she scrambled to buckle, tossing the map on the floorboard as Jonathan raced towards his house.

 

* * *

 

 

“They went this way!” Steve shouted, motioning for the others to follow him with his bat, silencing the squabbles of the junior high kids he’d inadvertently roped himself into leading. For the past hour, they’d been tracing their steps, determined to find the demogorgons before they became more dangerous.

Once Dustin and Steve realized what the tunnels and his “pet” were, they decided to take on the creature before it molted again into its unmanageable adult counterpart, setting up a trap at the local junkyard. On the way, Dustin’s friend Luke had responded on Dustin’s walkie-talkie and Steve had asked him to bring him along, figuring he’d knock out two birds with one stone. The Goblin King had sent him on a mission to gather the others, so what if they were a little delayed? Wiping the sweat off his brow, he picked up his pace and hoped the other were following. Still, he hadn’t expected the girl Maxine. When he saw the sullen looks Dustin was giving Luke and the girl, it suddenly dawned on him that this was the girl Dustin had been crushing on and telling him about. He’d felt a kinship to the boy in that moment, taking him under his wing to ease his own suffering by preventing it in another. No reason the boy should have to learn the hard lessons he had over the past year, not if he had anything to do with it.

So far, his shit luck had continued to hold. If he managed to live through the night, he’d throw himself a little party and perhaps finally meet someone who didn’t have trouble as their middle name - and with any luck, if fate took pity on him, avoid all troublesome brunettes entirely.  Once they’d set up the junkyard to take on Dustin’s “pet,” little had they known that Dustin’s “pet” wasn’t the only one. There had been hordes of them. For a moment, Steve was sure they were going to be killed and again pondered why the world hated him so much. However, a small bit of actual good luck got tossed their way and something caught their attention and they left. By the time they’d decided to go after the horde, they were gone.

“Guys?! Guys, why are we following the sound? Shouldn’t we be going the other way?” Maxine griped, raising her hands in a frustrated gesture as Steve, Dustin and Luke took off from the train tracks and headed up the wooded hill, following the echoing inhuman shriek they heard deep in the forest.

Steve cast a look back at her and motioned for her to join them before they crested the hill. Suddenly, she seemed to be aware that she was alone in the dark, several hundred feet away from the others, on an abandoned train track with monsters running loose in the woods. She quickly scrambled after them and Steve drew his attention back to the sounds heard in the distance.

 

* * *

 

 

Jonathan and Nancy’s forms jolted in the seat as he slammed on the brakes, not even bothering to shut off the car as Jonathan threw the vehicle into park and they rushed out of the car.

“WILL!” Jonathan yelled, taking off towards the front door, Nancy not far behind. As he jerked open the door, he paused and blinked, seeing colored papers strewn everywhere. Nancy barreled into him, not noticing his pause, and they nearly toppled into the living room. Jonathan reached back and held Nancy against him as she brushed her hair out of her face, raising a questioning gaze to ask him why he stopped when she also noticed the drawings.

“What the hell?” They whispered together, taking a tentative step inside. Nancy swallowed as Jonathan reached down and picked up a few pages, frowning at the blue tunnel drawings but pausing as he noticed others depicting a castle and a maze.

“The Labyrinth….” Nancy gasped, her eyes going wide. “How?”

“It must be able to see it somehow, like Sarah and Eleven can…” Jonathan whispered, standing up with the papers in his hand. Immediately, they crushed in his fist as the urgency returned to his voice when he remembered why they were there.

“WILL!” He yelled, barreling down the hallway towards the boy’s room. Swinging open the door, he shivered at the cold night air that had been allowed in the room from the open window. Despair made his frame sway faintly in the shadow of the doorframe realizing his younger brother wasn’t there. He swallowed and took the necessary steps forward to pull the window shut to his bedroom and latch it. He trembled with the urge to scream in frustration while he saw Nancy come up to the doorframe from the hallway and ignored her gentle call of his name.

“Don’t say it, Nance..” He whispered, looking back at her angrily, when she moved to speak again. “Don’t say it…”  She immediately fell quiet and cast her glance down at her feet.

Something caught his eye and he leaned down, frowning, picking up a small plastic cassette too big to be a tape recording but too small to be a VHS.

“What is it?” Nancy asked, frowning and stepping forward.

“It’s a disposable camera cartridge.” He turned it over, the significance of it dawning on him as he looked back at Nancy. “I don’t own a polaroid…”

Both of them gasped, their eyes going wide. _The lab…_

They turned in unison and scrambled towards the car, determined to get to that lab and get answers.

 

* * *

 

 

“Jesus fuck, is that the lab?” Steve gaped, staring down the hillside at the government building in the distance, surrounded by high fences topped with barbed wire. The lights had since been shut down, emergency lights flashing as a siren wailing could be heard in the faint distance above the inhuman shrieks coming from the same building.

“They went home…” Luke said, staring, as the others ran up the hill from behind them and stopped when they saw what Steve and Luke had seen.

“Oh shit,” Dustin supplied, Maxine simply staring with frightened eyes.

“Well, guess we know where we’re going…” Steve sighed, shaking his head and moving down the hillside towards the lab.

“Are you nuts? The lights are off! There’s probably dead people in there! It looks like a haunted house gone wrong! Do you have some kind of death wish?” Maxine screamed, making Steve pause. Glancing back over his shoulder, he scowled as he noticed the boys had stayed by her side, perhaps even backing up a few steps.

That’s about the time when he lost it.

“Look, strange girl I don’t know, I’ve had a really bad goddamn day. I learned there’s not just this Upside Down but a whole other dimension that has an immortal fae king that happens to now be _married_ to the girl I liked. I can’t get enough rejection in one lifetime with Nancy, oh no, so I had to go like a girl who happens to have even more of a fucked-up love life than me. Now, that fae king is _here_ , pissed at whatever the fuck _that_ is…” he gestured at the lab with his bat and continued, “which I’m pretty sure now knows about his dimension and wants to invade it, too. So if those fucking things don’t kill us, we’re probably dead anyways, because this dude? He makes _Satan_ look charming. So I’m going down there and I’m going to take as many of these fuckers out before they morph into the granddaddy bad ones so when that fucking Lord of the Rings cosplay reject shows up, he knows I kept up my end of the bargain and doesn’t murder me in my sleep. Ok? That cool? That okay with you guys?”

When he was finished, he stared at them with a glowering expression, daring them to say anything to him about how crazy he sounded.

“Um…” They stared, wide-eyed, at a complete loss.

Dustin was the first to look excited. “Holy shit, you’ve met a fae king? And you didn’t tell me? I thought we were bros, man…”

Steve rolled his eyes and took off down the hill, Dustin on his heels, starting to ask him all kinds of questions. “What the hell does Seelie and Unseelie even mean?” He asked, interrupting Dustin’s barrage.

“Are you kidding?” Dustin stared at him, affronted. Before the boy could launch into detail, he stopped him and just asked him to march on with a gesture towards the gate of the lab. Dustin took the queue and hurried along in front of him. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! I get to meet a fae king! That’s so badass!”

Luke and Max glanced back at one another and moved forward, following Steve once he glanced back at them and shrugged. “You coming or not?”

“Guess that’s a yes..” He replied as they stepped past him, bringing up the rear as they headed towards the lab.

 

* * *

 

 

Jonathan drove the car as quickly as he could, barely avoiding careening into the ditches of the single lane roads leading through the forested outskirts out town towards the lab. Nancy held on for dear life, her fingers curled tightly against the car door and her seat belt, nervously watching Jonathan handle the car but not having the gall to ask him to slow down. She hadn’t been able to find Mike and that made her worry for his own safety as well as the other boys. _Twice, Nancy. Twice this has happened and you barely noticed!_ Her own conscience was beating her up so hard, a rough slam or two against the car door wouldn’t matter. She kept her eyes trained on the floor and only looked up when Jonathan slammed on the breaks and let out a low groan of dismay.

“What…” She frowned, snapping her attention forward only to gasp at what she saw. The laboratory lay ahead of them but all the lights were off, only the emergency flood lights working and even those seemed to dim and fade periodically throughout the multi-storied building.

“Shit,” Jonathan hissed, parking the car and stepping out, looking at the security booth that was empty. As he moved towards it, Nancy heard something in the woods and turned sharply with a gasp. Jonathan came rushing up to her, scanning the woods, obviously hearing the same noise.

“Who’s there?” Nancy called out sharply, stepping forward and scanning the woods sharply.

“Nancy?” Steve’s reply came from slightly far away, making her glance at Jonathan in confusion. They stepped forward a little more, watching Steve come out from beyond the sloped wooded hills behind the lab.

“Steve?” They both said in unison, confusion written on their features. “Where the hell have you been?” Jonathan started angrily, “We needed you and you just bailed! What the fu – “

“Yeah, about that…” Steve interrupted as he came to stand near them, pointing behind him. It was then that Jonathan and Nancy noticed the bat he was carrying, looking startled. “What the hell?” They started to interrupt again, only to hear a commotion behind him. They looked up and saw Dustin, Max and Luke trailing behind Steve, talking in animated voices behind him amongst themselves.

“You found some of them…” Nancy smiled, glancing back at Steve. He nodded and looked slightly embarrassed, shrugging his shoulders and looking back at the kids. “Yeah, and a whole other fucked up problem.” Nancy and Jonathan shrugged their shoulders in confusion, urging him to continue. “Dustin had found this thing, he thought it was a new lizard species…turns out it was a baby Demogorgon. And there’s a fuckton of them. We were trying to find them, since they’re still developing and not too big to handle just yet but…”

“But what?” Jonathan interjected roughly when Steve’s voice trailed off, fear setting into Jonathan’s tone.

“But _that_ …” He said, gesturing to the lab. “They left where we were and seemed to come here. Back to home base, it seems.”

“Oh no…” Nancy whispered, Jonathan cursing at Steve’s reply and rushing back to the security booth.

“What?” Steve asked, confused, as he watched Jonathan race back towards the booth and begin to mash buttons. Dustin and the others picked up on Jonathan’s frantic pace and stilled, stopping their banter.

“We think Mike and Will are in there…” She began, only to be cut off by a chorus of loud inhuman shrieks from the lab.

“Shit…” Everyone replied in unison as they all stilled and turned to stare at the lab that took on a whole new menacing quality. Nancy swallowed and moved back towards the security booth, the others following her.

 

* * *

 

 

“They shouldn’t have hurt him,” Will hissed, glaring at the group as Mike stared, shocked at the change in his friend. He’d long since gone pale, almost deathly in his palor, so seeing the sudden movement in his face terrified Mike. “I told you they’d regret it! He _MADE_ me do it! I told you, you hurt him! He **_MADE ME DO IT!_** ”

“Will, baby, please!” Joyce sobbed, trying to calm down Will as the significance of what he was shouting registered with Mike, making him bolt upright from his chair. _Oh no…_

“It’s a trap!” Mike screamed, running for the hallway as Will wrestled against Joyce and Bob, who’d come to the other side to hold Will’s thrashing form down. “He’s a spy! A spy for the shadow monster!”

The two officers at the end of the hallway frowned and forced Mike to stop as he ran towards the double doors at the end of the hall. “Warn them! They’re coming! Those things are coming!”

Will shouted from down the hallway as Mike tried wrestling with the men to no avail.

“Not I’m not! _No, I’m not!_ _SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I’M NOT A SPY! **SHUT UP! SHUT UP!**_ ” Will shrieked louder and louder, spittle flying from his mouth as he stared at Mike with a maniacal glimmer in his eye.

“Will! Will, stop it!” Joyce shouted as Bob tried to keep the boy in place. Mike swallowed as he heard a growl on the other side of the door, the officers blinking and turning around. Mike didn’t wait to see what he knew was on the other side, bolting down the door and yelling at Joyce.

“They know where we are! Will’s telling them! Knock him out! Make him sleep!”

Joyce blinked, looking down at Will who was like an animal in her grip. She looked up at Bob with a saddened expression, steeling her gaze as she backed up and grabbed a syringe and the contents of the bottle they’d given Will earlier. “Hold him down..” She whispered to Bob, who complied, while she measured out the dose. Will seemed to scream and thrash louder as Mike caught up to them while Joyce leaned forward and plunged the syringe into Will’s shoulder. He immediately went limp.

Down the hall, the doors were being hammered at by a duo of demogorgons, the wood splintering away from the force of their attack. The two officers ripped their guns off their belts and started to fire but it was too late, the demogorgons taking them down swiftly. Joyce and Mike screamed at the scene just as Chief Hopper filled the doorway, panting and sweating, clearly out of breath from running.

“Let’s go!” He roared, grabbing the unconscious Will as the rest of them took off down the hallway, avoiding the chaos around them.

 

* * *

 

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK!” Dustin shouted as he pushed the button to the security gate over and over. “Come on, open you bastard!”

Suddenly, the lights went back on at the main building, making them blink. Dustin mashed the button and the security gate rolled open. Just as Dustin was about to ask the question they were all thinking - _Why are the lights on and why is the gate suddenly working?_ \- they heard the roar of a car engine and jumped out of the way just as they saw Chief Hopper’s car bolt around the curve in the road ahead that led towards the lab and slammed on his brakes mere inches from Jonathan’s car.

Blinking, they jumped when Chief Hopper opened his door and yelled at them. “Get in the fucking car RIGHT NOW!”

Turning, they heard a chorus of inhuman shrieks around the bend in the road. They didn’t need to be told twice, some hurling themselves in Jonathan’s car while others jumped in the back of Hopper’s car.

“Go, go, go!” Hopper screamed, motioning with his hand as Jonathan threw his car in reverse as the horde of demogorgons came into view in the distance, barreling towards them with a chiming group of snarls and snapping jaws.

“Holy FUCK!” Nancy screamed, jerking back, as Jonathan threw the car into drive and they tore off after Hopper’s cop car, leaving the pack of demogorgons in their rear-view mirror, their size shrinking as their speed couldn’t match the cars. Dustin and Steve, who’d piled in the car behind Nancy and Jonathan, watched in the rear-view mirror as the pack stopped, let out a faint shriek, then turned back towards the lab. Both of them slumped in their respective seats as soon as the creatures were out of view, letting out a sigh of relief.

“They’re not following us,” Steve commented, letting out a slow breath. “Where are we going?”

“My place,” Jonathan replied, looking into his rear-view mirror and relaxing. “Sarah and Jareth should be there soon. Safe to say they didn’t find Hopper, but I’m hoping they found Eleven.”

“Wait, what?” Dustin jerked in surprise, glancing wide-eyed between the others. “Eleven is alive?”


	19. An Awkward Gathering of Forces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As my first "long" fic, thank you for being so kind to me. If you're not a watcher of Stranger Things, let me know if any of this doesn't make sense. I've tried to weave this in a way non-watchers could follow but my next fic (of which I have many ideas for) will be totally original. I feel like I kind of cheated with this one, since most of my plot archs I stole from the ST show (thanks, Stranger Things!)

 

The drive to Joyce's house in Chief Hopper's car was filled with uncomfortable silence. Luke and Max cast each other faint frowns when they saw Will passed out and in Joyce's arms. Mike was drawn into himself, his face pale and downcast and Joyce could be heard faintly sobbing, doing her best to keep the noise low.

As Luke and Max looked over at Chief Hopper, they noticed his jaw tensing and he reached for his radio, grabbing the receiver and thumbing through a list of channels before settling on one with nothing but static.

"Hey, it's me. I'm sorry I haven't been home in a while. I…need you. Can you meet me at Will Byer's house? I'm…sorry about our fight. I know things got a little out of hand and I'm sorry. Just…please. Come soon. I need you." As his voice grew hoarse, Joyce's quiet sobs slowed as she stared curiously at Chief Hopper, likely wondering who he was speaking to since no one answered back. Luke decided it best to ask some questions, hoping to ease the tension in the car.

"So how'd you guys end up at the lab? And what's wrong with Will? Is he ok?" His eyes lowered and he looked at his friend cradled in Joyce's lap, swallowing faintly.

"He'll be fine," Mike muttered under his breath. "We'll be fine too, except for Bob, no thanks to  _him_ …"

"Hey!" Chief Hopper's voice called out sharply, narrowing his eyes as he started at Mike through the rear-view mirror. "None of that. Will's as much a victim in this as the rest of us."

"You saw what he did!" Mike jerked up from where he'd been slouching in the back seat. "He led those things to us! I  _know_  he didn't want any of that, but it doesn't change the fact he's one of them now! And Bob's dead! Or did you miss that fact?"

"Bob is dead?" Luke gasped as he heard Joyce's soft sobbing return, her gaze looking out the window.  _Holy shit._

"One of the demogorgons got him as he was leaving, he was the one that turned the power on so we could escape." Mike muttered darkly, casting his eyes angrily at his feet. "And now Will might as well be one of them. He's  _his_ now. He's barely Will anymore."

"Wait, slow down. One of them?" Luke asked, blinking in confusion. He looked over at Max who shrugged her shoulders.

"That day in the field, at school, remember? You were the one who found him. When he had those seizures?" Luke nodded as he listened to Mike. "Turns out, the Shadow Monster got him. Somehow infected him, like a virus, and now Will is connected to the Upside Down and the Shadow Monster, like a puppet or something. He's losing himself to that thing and he sent those demogorgons after us."

Luke swallowed faintly, his eyes wide. Mike just glared at him then looked out the window.

"What the hell is the Shadow Monster?" Max griped, looking between the boys. Luke could tell Mike still didn't like Max and glared at Mike when he initially wasn't going to answer her, rolling his eyes.

"The Shadow Monster is this boss creature from the Upside Down…" He said, using D&D terms, pulling a folded paper from his pocket and handing it to them both. As Luke and Max unfolded the paper, Mike continued. "It controls everything. The demogorgons, the Upside Down, everything. It's like the brain."

Luke and Max stared at the drawing that was clearly done by Will at some point in the past few days, fear making their eyes go wide. The drawing was depicting their night of trick or treating a few days back on Halloween but the scenery looked off. Everything was covered in vines and colored dark, like it was covered in rot. Luke immediately knew he was looking at the Upside Down, which mimicked the Aboveground in detail but was cast into darkness. That wasn't what had frightened him, though. In the distance in the drawing, there stood a giant squid-like creature colored entirely black, like it was made of shadow. It looked gigantic, as big as a building, and Luke got the sensation it was staring at him.

"That's…the Shadow Monster?" Max whispered, anxiety and fear evident in her voice.

"Yep. And now it's controlling Will. At first, Will could see what he was doing and relayed it back to us, so we thought he was a good spy." Mike mumbled, still stiff with anger but he was losing some of the sharpness in his voice. "He helped us find Hopper who…say, you never explained why the hell you were down in those tunnels to begin with? What were you doing?"

Chief Hopper tensed and looked back in the rear-view mirror, meeting the questioning gaze of Mike, Luke and Max. He shifted in his seat and put his eyes back on the road. Mike opened his mouth to angrily ask the question again but Chief Hopper raised a hand and began to reply.

"Relax, kid. I was getting to it." He glares back at them and then sighs, running a hand through his blonde hair and watching the road. "Some of the local farmers started complaining about ruined crops. They thought it was rival farmers at first, but when I started to map it out, I realized it was a concentric map surrounding the lab, spreading outwards. I was worried whatever the hell happened there last year wasn't being contained, despite the feds telling me it was. Turns out, I was right. Too bad it almost killed me and would have if Joyce and you kids hadn't come along."

Mike and the others blinked and looked out the window, staring at the forest as they drove. Chief Hopper caught their stares and let out a harsh laugh that sounded hollow.

"Looks like their little accident is becoming a problem we can't deal with anymore. We had an agreement: I kept their little shop of horrors quiet and they fixed the problem. Well, they didn't fix the fucking problem. Ok, kid? That good enough for you?"

"How bad is it?" Luke asked, fearing the answer.

Hopper's gaze met his in the rear-view mirror. "Really bad, kid."

Luke and Max looked back at each other, fear in their gazes. Without realizing it, they had begun to hold hands.

* * *

 

"How the fuck is Eleven alive?" Dustin asked, staring between them all. "I saw her die! She was gone! Nothing but ashes remained! She took down the Demogorgon at the school last year and vanished! Poof!" He snapped his fingers, looking at the others. "So explain to me how I got this wrong for over a year."

Silence greeted him and he slapped Steve on the shoulder. Steve glared at him. "Ow! Hey!"

"Well, tell me dammit! I've been sad about this a year! We all have been! I thought she died protecting us! Mike especially, he really liked her, he's never been the same! And now you're telling me she's  _alive?"_ Dustin glared back. "How long have you guys known?  _How long?_ "

"We just figured it out tonight! Fuck! Relax, man." Steve muttered, glancing out the window as Jonathan followed Hopper's car closely, practically tailgating him. "Sarah told us. I don't know how she's still alive, she just is. Ok?"

"Wait, who's Sarah?" Dustin blinked in confusion then studied the way Steve tensed. "Oh  _shit._ The girl that's married to the fae king? The one you liked?"

"Really Steve?" Jonathan glared back at Steve as Dustin's reply came out with a hint of excitement. Steve glared back.

"Oh come on, he'd have figured it out anyways! And it's not like the dude's going to let us keep our memories, remember? So what's it going to hurt if the kid knows about him?" Steve rolled his eyes and avoided Jonathan's glare, keeping his eyes trained on the window.

"Wait, what? Who's not going to let us keep our memories? The fae king?" Dustin blinked, stilling. "You didn't tell me  _that_." He glared at Steve.

Steve let out a faint laugh, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't. Go ahead and hate me kid, I'm used to it."

The car fell into an uncomfortable silence after that for several moments. They could tell that Hopper's car was slowing, nearing the turn off to the Byer's house.

"I'm sorry," Dustin started, ignoring when Steve held up a hand, trying to stop him. He shook his head, continuing. "You helped me out tonight when I figured out that pet I had was a Demogorgon. You kept us safe when those things attacked. You didn't have to do any of that. I owe you one. I'm sorry."

Jonathan and Nancy flicked a gaze between them as Steve turned and looked at Dustin, simply nodding and moving to look back out the window as they drove along the dark country roads towards the Byer's home.

* * *

 

"We're here," Jonathan replied, slowing to a stop in front of the Byer's house. Everyone stepped out of the car, meeting up with the others coming out of Hopper's car. The Chief once more had Will cradled in his grip and Jonathan let out a tortured cry, rushing up to him.

"Hold up, kid. Let me get him in the house," Hopper snapped, pushing Jonathan back with a gentle shove when he tried to grab for his little brother, following Joyce inside once she had the front door unlocked. Hopper moved across the living room and placed Will's unconscious form on the couch, where Jonathan immediately knelt by his side, reaching to hold his hand.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you…" He whispered, staring at Will. Nancy came up behind him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as Jonathan continued to stare at Will's unconscious form, a pained expression on his face.

"So…" Steve shifted uncomfortably on his feet, glancing at the others who'd started to gather around the kitchen table, drifting into the chairs with a slump, exhaustion and shock etched on their features. Steve was shocked to see Joyce just staring into space, her cheeks still wet from crying.

"Did I miss something?" He asked in a wary tone, glancing at the others. Mike was the first to look up.

"We lost Bob at the lab." He replied dully, casting his gaze back at the floor.

Steve blinked, staggering back a step. "Fuck…" was the only reply he could manage to come up with. The others seemed to nod faintly. Jonathan and Nancy hadn't yet noticed their discussion, having been so focused on Will in the other room.

"So what do we do now?" Mike asked, looking up at Steve and the other adults, his expression tense.

"Now I call the feds. We need all the help we can get…" Hopper replied, moving to the phone.

"No, wait.." Steve jumped sharply, ripping the phone out of Chief Hopper's hand and smashing his finger down on the receiver. "Those idiots are the reason we're in this mess to begin with. They clearly don't have a clue what to do about this. Jonathan and Nance and I know a guy who might be able to help…."

As Hopper glowered, opening his mouth to yell at him to get out of the way, a silky baritone voice cut through the tension, startling everyone.

"You rang?"

Steve looked over his shoulder, spotting Sarah and Jareth out of the corner of his eye. The Goblin King was no longer in his glamour, back to the full nightmarish skeletal armor he remembered so well. Sarah was still dressed in Aboveground gear, standing next to Jareth, who's arms were still around her waist. He raised an eyebrow at the crowd gathered and Steve swallowed faintly, trying to find his voice. The others in the room let out a chorus of shrieks and gasps and Steve heard the sharp squeal of chairs jerking across the kitchen floor as the others moved back several steps. It seemed the Goblin King had that effect on people. As he opened his mouth to finally speak, he saw felt Hopper rush for his gun. "No, no! He's here to hel –" He started, only to be cut off by Jareth's icy tone.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jareth growled, raising a hand and pulling Hopper's gun away from him with a flash of magic, the gun now in Jareth's hand. He started so intently at Chief Hopper that Steve felt some internal satisfaction as the man looked briefly startled and backed up a few steps.  _Thank god I'm not the only one shitting my pants in fear right now. Even Hopper gets the heebie geebies from this guy._ Jareth finally pulled his gaze away from Chief Hopper, apparently satisfied he'd scared the man enough to back down and looked over at Sarah, a small smile playing on his lips. Unable to understand how she wasn't scared, Steve watched as Sarah returned the faint smile and took the gun that Jareth offered her, offering the others a hasty apologetic smile.

"Hey everyone," she replied with a cheery tone, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Nice to meet you."

"What in the fuck is this?" Chief Hopper started in a harsh tone, looking rapidly between them and Steve. Jonathan and Nancy came up beside the others, having seen the commotion, moving to join Steve. He sagged a little with relief, feeling like he needed the back up.

"Oh my god! Is that the fae king you told me about?" Dustin immediately called out, running up from where he'd stood frozen in the kitchen, catching himself as he stared at Jareth.

Jareth frowned down at Dustin as Steve grit his jaw, ripping out a hand and tugging on Dustin's shirt to pull him away from the fae. "Yes," he hissed lowly, glaring down at the kid. "Now shut up."

Jareth seemed amused at this, smirking faintly and coming up to the boy. Steve tensed but Jareth simply kneeled, looking over the boy, dropping some of the frost from his expression. "And who might you be?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, watching Dustin stare at him with both fascination and fear.

"I'm Dustin. I'm Steve's friend. And Will's. And Mike's. And theirs…" Dustin gestured behind him to Luke and Max. "I'm sort of everyone's friend. I even know Eleven, too. I heard you found her." Dustin grinned, rambling happily as he watched Jareth study him, only to hear Mike gasp and jerk forward.

"What did you say?" He whispered, jerking to his feet. "Eleven is alive?"

Sarah stepped forward, seeing the pain and shock on Mike's face, opening her mouth to explain, when everyone was stunned by the voice that beat hers to the punch.

"Yeah, she is. Sorry, kid. I couldn't take any chances." Chief Hopper replied, staring intently at Sarah who'd moved forward to talk, his brow knitting in concern. He registered that she'd been about to speak and was clearly curious how Sarah knew about her.

"You…knew…" Mike stared at Chief Hopper, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face. Eventually, anger pushed through, and he launched himself at Hopper, fists flying as he punched the man's chest. "You  _knew! You fucking knew!_  You knew she was alive and didn't tell me! I hate you!  _I hate you!_ "

"Hey!  _Hey!_  Calm down, kid!  ** _Hey!_** " Chief Hopper shouted, moving with Mike down the hallway as Mike continued to pummel the Chief, making everyone stare, including Jareth. "Let's talk about this privately, ok?"

"No!  _Fuck you!_  You're a bastard!  _I hate you!_ " Mike screamed, thrashing as he punched at Chief Hopper uselessly, the bigger man overpowering to hold him against him. Mike began to cry, his angry outburst turning into relieved sobs.

"I had to, ok? You think those bastards would have let her go?" Chief Hopper hissed in Mike's ear, loud enough the others could hear. "I couldn't tell anyone, not even you. I know they'd been snooping at your house, asking question about her. Your places are probably bugged. I couldn't let them do that to her, take her back to that place. Come on, kid. Surely you see why I had to do this."

Mike was still sobbing and occasionally jerking in Hopper's grip but he eventually stilled, pulling away roughly.

"Where is she?" He asked Hopper sharply, his eyes glittering with anger and unshed tears. "I want to see her."

"I'm here," came a soft reply from the front door. Everyone turned and stared as Jane entered the house, smiling faintly at Sarah and Jareth before looking at Mike, tears pooling in her eyes.

Mike shoved himself away from Hopper and barreled down the hall, colliding into Jane as he hugged her. She hugged him back fiercely, tears streaming down her face. They sat like that, stumbling to their knees, grasping onto one another.

"Well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events," Jareth interjected coolly, feeling the room's gaze return to him while Jane and Mike continued to embrace. "While this is all very touching, I suggest we return to discussing the problem at hand."

He grinned coldly, feeling everyone shift on their feet, including Mike and Jane. Sarah edged closer to Jareth, reaching out for him, feeling his anger at the mortals in the room. This was, after all, their mess, as he put it.

"Explain to me where this gate is," he hissed, narrowing his gaze at everyone and landing it on Jane. "So we can close it for good. Time is short."


	20. The Mind Flayer

Sarah gripped the rope tightly in her gloved hands, pausing a moment to grip the rope fiercely with one hand and anchor her feet against the other end, tilting back slightly to shine the flashlight down into the darkened hole she was descending. Letting out a faint exhale, she tensed and spotted the floor, shuddering against the writhing vines draping the bottom of the cavernous tunnel but steeling herself for the rest of the climb down. Luckily, it seemed like a fairly even surface at the bottom. Against her hip, a burgeoning crossbody bag shifted briefly as she moved back into position to finish the descent, a faint clinking noise being heard as it adjusted to her movements.

"You ok there, Sarah?" She heard shouted down from above. She looked up and saw the shadow of Steve's head poking through the lights shining down on her against the opening in the distant ceiling of the tunnel.

"I'm fine! Almost there!" She shouted back up, climbing down a few more feet and then dropping the remaining feet and landing on both heels easily, tugging the bandana tied around her neck over her mouth and nose. She coughed briefly against the smell and looked around, pulling a crowbar from where it had been tied across her back out in front of her, just to be safe. She tensed, listening for abnormal sounds, scanning the immediate area with her flashlight, weapon in hand, sensing nothing but the closed confines of the tunnel surrounding her. Still, she didn't let her guard down as she continued to peer around in slow steady circles, her grip remaining tight on the weapon in her hands.

"The coast is clear! Come on down!" She tugged faintly on the rope and looked up, watching Steve take a turn at pulling himself down the rope in a slow descent. His breath came out in soft pants noticeable to her ears in the eerie silence of the tunnels. Against his back, a bulging backpack also made mysterious clinking noises and she reached down, making sure hers was still secure. They'd decided to enter the tunnels in another area from where they'd found Hopper at Eugene's farm and were already sweaty and out of breath from the dig. From there, the roped tied to Steve's car bumper had helped them descend the depths of the tunnel entrance.

"Fuck, you weren't kidding…" Steve griped softly, making a face and tugging his matching bandana up and over the lower half of his face. Sarah made a noise somewhere halfway between a laugh and a gag at the smell of the air in the tunnels. She kept her gaze trained on one side of the tunnel while Steve moved away from the rope and pulled his bat loose from his back, watching the other.

"Coming down now!" Sarah heard a faint shout up in the distance, glancing back and watching the others descend in pairs. The kids were better climbers than Sarah and Steve had been, but their forms weren't as loaded down with supplies. Still, Sarah was grateful they were quick, she was nervous to remain in one spot for too long. As the others joined them, Sarah and Steve stepped closer to them while warily still scanning the tunnels in the distance every few seconds.

"Everyone have their papers?" She asked, looking between them all. Dustin and Mike nodded, reaching into their pockets after tugging their own bandanas into place, tapping on a rudimentary map of where they were headed, which had been marked on their papers with a red crayon. Luke and Max did the same and Sarah told them each to turn around. Steve tugged one shoulder of his backpack off while Sarah flipped the lid to her crossbody open, revealing pulsing crystal orbs.

"You know what to do or do I need to go over the plan again?" She murmured, watching as Steve filled the kid's bags with three crystals each, reserving most for himself. She did the same and closed their bags.

The kids shook their heads and turned back towards them. "No, we got it," Dustin replied for them. The rest gave responding thumbs up as they pulled swimming goggles down over their eyes. Sarah and Steve handed them each a small pinpoint flashlight before settling similar goggles down over their eyes.

"Be quick and climb up the rope once they're placed where it's marked. Do not waste time, do not go investigating. I don't like us being separated, but we have little time and it's important we sync this right. Everyone have their watches?" She continued once they had finished adjusting their protective gear against the harsh environment of the tunnels and repositioned their bags on their backs.

"Yes," they all whispered. She nodded and looked at her wrist. "Tell me the time?"

"10:15pm and 35 seconds," everyone replied in unison.

She nodded again, glancing up. "Go!" She murmured harshly and watched the others take off down both tunnels towards their destinations marked on the map. Sighing nervously, she looked down and kicked some vines out of the way and watched as Steve nervously darted his gaze between both sides of the tunnels.

"Hey," she murmured, catching his attention. He stilled and looked at her. "Thanks for doing this. Everything's going to be fine. I'll be fine."

He simply nodded, his face a mask under the eye gear and bandana, glancing back at his watch.

"You have two minutes. Make them count, Williams."

She nodded and settled on the floor, letting out a slow breath and closing her eyes.

* * *

_**Earlier** _

"I don't like this plan," Jareth growled darkly, staring furiously across the kitchen where he'd been leaning against the distant countertop, eyeing Sarah from where she sat at the table with an expression that could melt ice.

"Tough," she said, her eyes meeting the challenge in his own, not flinching against the heat of his angry stare. "It's our only option. You and Jane need to preserve your strength for the real challenge, closing that gate. It's the only way to give you the time you need."

Jareth tensed, leaning forward to argue again, when Jane stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Sarah's arm, looking over at the others. "We need this to work. If we do not, we all know the stakes. It won't be a matter of  _if_ we die, just a matter of  _when_. Please, see the logic in this. I know it is a risk, but we must do this."

Jareth seemed to hear the sense in Jane's words and eased back up into a stand, turning his gaze towards the forest that was visible in the distance through the kitchen window, his jaw tensing as the others nodded and swallowed. In the center of the table sat Will's drawing. Sarah looked down and her mind drifted, playing over the last hour, looking for weakness in their plan and seeing none.

_The Mind Flayer,_ they'd started to call him, as Sarah stared down at the crudely-drawn creature. Sarah still didn't know if calling the creature a 'him' exactly made sense but she went with it. The kids had begun to talk again after the initial theatrics were over and Chief Hopper and the others had been explained what Jareth and his dimension were, their initial hostility replaced with both fascination and wariness. She'd noticed the others had been giving them both a wide berth after that but weren't avoiding them completely, answering their questions politely when they had some. It was a start and more than she could have hoped for. They'd learned of Will's infection and Jareth had earned some of their trust when he'd been able to ease some of Will's restlessness and memory with magic. Unfortunately, he had explained that the infection was more severe than Sarah's and he couldn't remove it all via magical means. Joyce had remembered the way in which Will had kept the house cold and they'd already begun to formulate a plan to remove the infection from him with heat at the cabin that Chief Hopper had kept Jane isolated from the prying eyes of the government.

As they'd discussed the bigger issue of the gate and the creatures, Dustin immediately had popped off with the words 'Like the Mind Flayer?' when Mike had been describing the creature that had taken Will and that's when things took a weird turn. It had taken the kids a few minutes to find one of Will's D&D monster manuals and, while make believe, it certainly shared enough characteristics with what they'd encountered to terrify all of them. Even Jareth who had seemed unruffled until this point looked visibly wary after he'd read the entry.

"It's got to be controlling the creatures," Dustin said, explaining that the Mind Flayer was an ancient entity that had impressive psionic abilities and desired dominion over all. "If we can distract it, somehow keep it busy, long enough for the Goblin King and Elle…I mean…Jane…sorry," he blushed, looking over at Jane who simply smiled and then looking back at his manual, "then we might give them a fighting chance to close the gate."

"And exactly how do you propose we do that?" Jareth asked coolly, startling the others with his interjection. That had been when Sarah had hatched the rest of her plan.

" _Absolutely not_ ," he ground out between clenched teeth, glaring at her from across the room. She frowned faintly.

"We have to, Jareth. I'm sorry, but we have to. You two can't take on those things and close the gate, not if this thing is on the other side." She stood, expecting a fight, meeting his furious stare as the others left the room to go check on Will, giving them some privacy. He quickly ate up the distance between them when they were gone and grasped her hips in his all-too-familiar iron grip.

"I could send you back, right now. You'd hate me, but it would be better than the alternative…" He whispered harshly, his face a mixture of anger and for the first time, fear, as it tilted down to meet hers.

She smiled faintly and felt tears sting her eyes. "But you won't," she replied softly, leaning up on her toes and kissing him faintly. He didn't return the gesture and she pulled back, watching despair and fear briefly war in his eyes. Eventually, he exhaled slowly and leaned forward, kissing her with the same gentleness she had kissed him.

"If something happens, I…." he trailed off and swallowed, his eyes squeezing shut as his expression looked tortured and he let out a harsh breath, feeling his iron grip slightly tremble against her hips. She brushed her hands against his cheeks and his eyes opened, glistening faintly with unshed tears. Sarah felt her heart tug painfully in her chest and did her best to ease his anxiety, soothing him with soft words and letting her fingers stroke against the lines of his jaw. "Hey, look at me. It's going to be okay. I'll be okay. Have faith, Jareth."

He stilled and stared into her eyes, one of his hands reaching up and gripping her hand, turning his head to kiss the palm while he nodded slowly. "Promise me you'll be safe." His voice sounded hoarse and she nodded.

"You can protect me with the power you have. You can protect all of us. I'll be fine, Jareth. I have no intention of being a martyr anytime soon." She smiled faintly, noticing he didn't return the smile.

Afterwards, he simply pulled her to him and held her against him, his chin resting on the top of her head. His grip was a little too tight but she didn't have the heart to correct him, letting him grasp her tightly against him. She heard and felt his slow exhale from where her head rested against his chest and he pulled away from her.

"Alright," she heard him murmur in a gentle voice as she tilted her head back and opened her eyes, seeing the resignation in his stare. "But I need time to prepare. This will take some time and we have little of it. I need silence to concentrate as well."

"You can use my room," came a low reply from the entry way. They looked over and saw Joyce standing there, her expression finally looking animated, even with wet trails still visible on her cheeks. "It's this way."

Jareth and Sarah glanced back at one another then moved with Joyce down the hallway.

* * *

Sarah exhaled slowly and began to drown out her surroundings. Eventually, nothing remained but her own thoughts and she let herself float in the darkness, waiting patiently.

_Take me there,_ her thoughts asked. Time seemed to slow but still she sat, waiting. Eventually, she noticed the temperature change, the familiar biting cold drawing out all the warmth in the air, making her shiver. Warm water lapped at her legs, soaking through her jeans from where she sat cross-legged on the floor.

_I'm here,_ she thought, opening her eyes. Once more, she was in the In-Between. Glancing over, she saw the image of Steve staring distractedly and pacing, running a hand nervously through his hair and shifting his gaze between something in the distance and the face of his watch.

"One minute and five seconds," she heard him murmur. "One minute, four seconds…"

Sarah blinked and stood, startled it had taken her that long to connect to this place. She turned, looking around, then cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted. The image of Steve disappeared like smoke, leaving her standing alone in the In-Between.

"I'm here!" She screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Come and get me, you son of a bitch! Fresh meat!"

A low growl came from over her shoulder, making Sarah tense and pause. Gathering her courage, she slowly turned and stared, swallowing, watching as a Demogorgon rose to full height and hissed, opening its maw and letting out a horrible shriek a few feet away from her. She backed up a few steps and narrowed her gaze as it slowly began to walk towards her in small, measured movements.

"You have to work for your food, you bastard. Catch me if you can!" She yelled, glaring at it and turning and sprinting off into the distance. The creature let out an inhuman shriek of anger and she heard the tell-tale splash as it took off after her.

The chase was on. She just hoped her track and field training from school paid off, picking up her pace.

* * *

"Come on, hurry! We have less than four minutes!" Mike whispered harshly as he rushed forward, avoiding wriggling vines as he did so, Dustin trailing on his heels as they studied their map, then the tunnel walls, making sure they'd headed down the right intersecting branch from the main tunnel Sarah and Steve had led them into.

"I'm following, don't worry. Keep going," Dustin replied, looking around the tunnels with both fear and curiosity. "Can you believe all this? It's insane! We're in tunnels made by the Mind Flayer. You can't make this stuff up."

"Shut up, in case he's listening!" Mike hissed and Dustin immediately fell silent. They paused and looked down at their map, glancing around the tunnel as they came up on an opening, looking for clues on their map.

"There!" Dustin called, pointing to a raised portion in the cavernous room, a ridge of rock the tunnel couldn't remove. Double-checking their drawings, which had been translated from Will's various drawings all over the house, they scrambled forward and tugged their satchels off.

"Set them there and there…I'll put mine over here…for maximum damage," Mike instructed, watching as Dustin followed his lead. Together, they placed the glowing crystal orbs across the room and made sure to dig them into the dirt where they couldn't be easily jarred loose.

"Done!" Dustin shouted, waiting for Mike to finish the last of his own. When he was done, he sprung up and both boys stared at their maps together and nodded, running down another section of the tunnel.

* * *

Jane and Chief Hopper blinked and staggered a few steps away from Jareth once the transportation spell wore off, blinking and staring up at the face of the lab building in front of them. Darting a wary glance towards the fae, which he returned with a single raised eyebrow, Chief Hopper pulled his rifle from his shoulder and cocked the weapon, drawing it forward.

"Come on," he murmured in a low tone, tugging open one of the double doors to the lab and quickly stepping inside, casting his gun and flashlight across the room. So far, the rooms seemed to be clear. He looked back at Jareth and noticed he'd picked up on the absence of the creatures as well and didn't look happy about it. "Seems your girl is holding up her end of the plan. Let's do ours, alright?"

Jareth tensed and returned Hopper's stare with one full of pregnant fury, gritting his teeth as Jane stepped inside and looked around. Unsettled by the look on Jareth's face, he instead smiled faintly at Jane and turned, scanning across the large lobby for the nearest hallway that would take them where they needed to go. He spotted the door, forcing his eyes to steer away from where Bob's body lay, bloodied and butchered, near the entrance. Not much was left of the man and the whiteness of bone shone boldly against the wet glistening puddles of blood and mangled tissue. It made him sad and furious the man had to die so painfully for no reason. "This way," he grunted. "Jane, honey, turn your eyes away."

Jane let out a faint gasp from behind him, telling him he wasn't fast enough with his warning. Sighing, he knew she'd see a lot more death before they got where they needed to be. Ignoring the body, he pulled open the door and stared down the hallway, again noticing the emptiness of the hallway and the lack of guarding creatures, just butchered bodies and blood littering the hall. Ignore Jareth's hiss of displeasure, they walked down the hall at a brisk pace towards the doors and the stairwell, heading for the rooms where the gate had been opened.

* * *

The door to the cabin splintered with Jonathan's harsh kick, wrenching open with a loud noise, the wooden paneling hanging loosely on its hinges as he carried his sleeping brother into the rustic main room. Glancing around, he paused and waited, his grip on Will tight as Joyce and Nancy found the room that Jane had been sleeping in, spotting the small camp bed Jane had been using and drug it roughly across the room, towards the wood furnace. Positioning it carefully while Jonathan held onto Will's unconscious form, Joyce looked around and found firewood stacked by the stove. Shrugging off a pack from her shoulders, she let it drop beside the bed and hurried over and inspected the wood, satisfied.

"Put him there. Put a few layers of clothes on him and tie him down," Joyce instructed while she knelt and began to pile wood into the open hatch of the wood furnace. She glanced at her watch and let out a dismayed sound. "Quickly! We don't have much time…"

Jonathan sat Will down gently as Nancy began to tug off his shoes, pulling a pair of sweats over his fleece-lined legs that she had pulled out of the pack Joyce had brought with her. Jonathan hurried and grabbed a sweatshirt, tugging Will's upper body up against him while he jerked on the sweater over his brother's torso and arms. Nancy pulled his shoes back into place and Jonathan began to bind Will's wrists and ankles to the metal frame of the bed as Joyce sparked a match and the wood furnace roared to life against the smell of lighter fluid.

She stood quickly while Jonathan and Nancy worked, dragging in a few electric heaters from the other room and turning them on full blast, setting them on the table next to the bed and positioning them on Will.

As Jonathan and Nancy finished tying the last of the bindings on his feet, Will stirred, jerking up and hissing, sweat immediately beading on his brow, making his hair stick to his forehead.

"What's going on?" He said groggily, staring at them as he looked down and around the room. "Where am I? What is this place? Why…. _ow!_  Why is there heat on me?  _Why is there heat on me?_   _ **OW! IT HURTS! WHY IS THERE HEAT ON ME?**_ "

"Mom, are you sure…" Jonathan started, watching Will struggle, suddenly worried about the logic in their plan, only to have Joyce silence him with a harsh slash of her hand. Immediately, he stilled and watched as she stared angrily at Will and leaned down close to him, narrowing her gaze.

"Get the hell out of my son, you bastard!" She screamed, ratcheting up the heaters even higher.

Will's entire form seized, shrill screams coming from his throat. Jonathan couldn't stand the painful sounds, wrenching forward to turn off the heaters, sobbing faintly at the pain in Will's voice and from the guilt he felt for not being there earlier, only to feel Nancy hold him back.

"No, don't!  _Look!_   _ **LOOK JONATHAN!**_   _His neck!_  Oh god,  _ **his neck!**_ "

Jonathan had almost shoved Nancy off him when he stilled, looking back at his brother's form. As he screamed, his voice seemed to change to something almost inhuman and just as Nancy suggested, something began to spread on his skin. A blackness, like ink, started to turn his skin and underlying veins black.

"Oh my god," he whispered, frightened, stepping back as Joyce once more turned up the heater.

Will's lashing form seemed to grow stronger and soon, Nancy had sat down and was doing her best to hold down Will's lower half while Jonathan had splayed his weight across Will's torso, trying to hold down his arms.

Over Will's inhuman howls, Joyce stared angrily down at the creature inside her son.

" _ **Get out of my son!"**_

* * *

"I think we're almost there," Luke whispered to Max as they hurried along their area of the tunnels, doing their best to avoid tripping over the wiggling vines at their feet.

Max was struggling to keep up but kept pace with Luke who was almost running down the long corridor of earth and otherness from the Upside Down. She was too embarrassed to admit it, but this place terrified her. She kept her grip on her bag tight as they ran down the tunnels, occasionally consulting her map, before darting after Luke who'd ran ahead by a few feet.

"Luke, wait!" Max shouted, drawing his attention back to her. She looked down at her map and then back at him, pointing at something in the distance. "I think this is it."

They both looked together and saw it then: a strange flower-like vine that was responsible for emitting the strange floating substance in the air. She shuddered as it seemed to pulse and heave, spewing the floating contents into the air.

"Don't get too close to it," Luke whispered and she nodded. They split up them, keeping each other in their field of vision, planting the pulsing crystal orbs as Sarah and Steve had instructed, tensing when they heard a distant inhuman shriek cut through the tunnels.

"Shit!" She heard Luke whisper harshly, hurrying to finish placing the crystal orbs as instructed. "Hurry!"

She scrambled and dug with her fingers into the soft earth, mewling softly in the back of her throat in disgust as she tore through the soft wet vines to plant the crystal orbs. "Gross…"

"Done!" She heard Luke whisper, running up to her just as she finished burying hers. She sprung up and he grabbed her hand, both of them darting down another part of the tunnels.

* * *

Sarah was running out of steam, dodging and avoiding the claws of the Demogorgon more times than she could count. Her labored breathing echoed harshly in the In-Between and just as she dodged the monster yet again, sloshing loudly through the water at her feet, she heard another echoing chorus of inhuman shrieks. She shuddered and kept running, seeing their forms materialize ahead of her.

"Fuck," she whispered, slamming to a stop and looking around her, noticing they had her surrounded. They tightened in on her, snapping their jaws and flicking their long fingers, the sounds of their claws snapping together making her shudder. Just as they tensed to strike as she thought they were going to take her down, she jolted awake, seeing Steve leaning down and shouting into her face, his hands on her shoulders.

"Sarah!  _Wake the hell up!_ _ **SARAH!**_ " Her shoulders ached from where he'd been gripping and shaking her harshly. She reached up and placed her hands on his, dragging in a sharp breath and almost gagging at the smell in the tunnels as her body and mind slammed back to reality.

"I'm here! I'm here. I got their attention…" She murmured as he stilled, realizing she was talking, letting out a harsh noise of relief and hugging her to him for a moment. They both tensed as they heard the chorus of inhuman shrieks down the right side of the tunnels. Steve tugged her to her feet as Sarah reached in her pack and dropped a few crystals onto the ground, closing it quickly. They both took off running, the pounding of several pairs of feet in the distance starting to make the tunnel tremble, small trails of direct falling from the ceiling. They were coming.

* * *

The air continued to grow more and more putrid the farther down they descended into the lab. Chief Hopper was nervous but he wasn't about to let it show, feeling wary of this so-called fae king and his abilities. While at first, he'd had a hard time believing the story spouted off by the kids, when he'd seen the man's power, he quickly found himself accepting it. A small portion of his mind was determined to believe that this so-called Goblin King and a dimension with fae creatures was simply nuts, but then he'd realized he'd seen too much to immediately brush it off as nonsense. After all, he'd spent the better part of a year facing off with monsters, government officials and travelling to a dark dimension, did a fae king really exceed that?

"This way…" He dismissed the errant thoughts running through his head as he motioned quickly with a jerk of his head, using his rifle and flashlight to eyeball the stairwell and then move into the area quickly once no demogorgons were spotted. He stilled as soon as he stepped forward, casting his flashlight down into the descending stairs, making out a bloodied pair of legs. Behind him, he could see Jane and the fae still, waiting for his lead.

"Fuck," he whispered, leaning over the stair railing and whipping his flashlight up and down the darkened staircase. Silence and stillness met his inspection, so he felt comfortable heading down towards the gate.

"Who's there?" A strained wheeze came from the lower stairwell, making Chief Hopper stiffen and turn sharply, looking down at the pair of legs he'd seen. He recognized the voice, hurrying down the steps.

"Doc? That you? Holy hell, you're alive?" He blinked, slowing and kneeling once he reached the man, casting his flashlight over the form of Doctor Sam Owens, frowning as he studied the deep gashes across his chest and upper left thigh.

Doctor Owens let out a faint laugh, the noise sounding strained. He reached up and rubbed a hand across his brow, wiping sweat off his face but smearing a streak of blood across his forehead with the action. "Yeah, just luck. Something got their attention. They took off…I don't know…maybe 5 minutes ago? Not sure what it was, but they were leaving in a hurry."

Chief Hopper heard a low growl come from Jareth and glanced over his shoulder, staring dubiously at the fae for a moment. "Yeah, we got some folks on detail for them. We're handling it."

Doctor Owens seemed to notice the others, blinking faintly and squinting through the brightness of the flashlight. "Who're they?"

"Her?" He motioned to Jane, stilling as he smiled faintly, the emotion not quite reaching his eyes as he leaned down, inspecting the wound on the man's thigh. As he pressed on it, it seeped blood onto his hand, a low groan coming from Doctor Owens as he did so. He pulled his belt off and went to work tying it around his upper thigh so the man wouldn't bleed out. "You know her, Doc. Don't get cocky with me. That's Jane. You probably know her as Eleven. She's been living with me out in the woods for about a year now. Your predecessor, Doctor Brenner, was it? Treated her like a fucking lab rat. Maybe after all this is done, you can help her out, you know? Let her lead a normal life? Not being locked up in secret labs, poked and prodded?"

The man blinked, a stunned expression glazing over his face as Jane stared with a frown while Chief Hopper worked and the fae stood guard at the stairs. "Jesus, yeah. Yeah, I think I can." Chief Hopper cinched the man-made tourniquet tight on Doctor Owen's leg and he moaned low in pain. His eyes closed a moment as he swallowed against the pain and his eyes shifted towards the Goblin King. "And him?" He whispered.

Chief Hopper canted his head to the side as he pulled back, reaching for his waist and pulling a hand gun from a strap against his leg. "That one's a little harder to explain. You've been dealing with dimensions, so let's just say …he's not from around here." Doctor Owens tensed and Chief Hopper could only imagine that the fae had turned and was staring down at the man, causing him to visibly pale so much so quickly. He rested a hand on the man's shoulder as he stood, grabbing his rifle again. "Relax, he's here to help."

Doctor Owens blinked and swallowed, staring at Jareth as he cradled the gun in his lap, his fingers quickly latching onto the trigger. He felt a snort come from Jareth but chose to ignore it, grabbing most of his supplies and motioning them down the stairs.

"This way," He grunted, taking rapid steps down once he had made sure the coast was clear. The others followed.

* * *

"Fuck, this tiring," groaned Dustin as he hoisted himself up the rope, tugging with all his might. Above him, he heard the others urging him to go faster. "This is why I hate gym class.."

"Hurry up, Dustin! We've got about 45 seconds left! We have to clear the tunnels!" Mike screamed down at him, leaning down with Luke and Max holding onto his waist, grabbing for Dustin's jacket. Dustin's limbs trembled as he tried his hardest to keep the upward momentum but he knew his upper body strength was wearing out. Luckily, just as he almost lost his grip, Mike's hands seized him under his armpits and pulled sharply.

"Got him! Pull me up! Pull me up!" Dustin heard Mike scream and then he felt them both dragged roughly upwards, Max and Luke groaning with the effort. Once his head poked out past the hole in the ground, Dustin's energy returned and he helped Mike wiggle his form onto the ground. They all sat there, panting, staring up at the sky for a few moments, catching their breath.

"You think they…" Dustin started, only to hear a chorus of inhuman shrieks echo out from the tunnels. The others scrambled back as Mike and Dustin tugged the rope up the hole, pulling it from the tunnels.

"Shit! Get in the car! Now!" He heard Max scream, jerking to a stand and running towards Chief Hopper's car.

"Can you drive?" He blinked, looking confused.

"Does it matter?" She screamed, urging them all with a sweep of her arms. "Get your ass in the car, just in case!"

When another inhuman shriek answered her scream, they quickly scrambled up from where they sat, barreling towards the car.

* * *

"This way!" Steve screamed, throwing a few more crystals down as they ran, hearing the inhuman shrieks getting closer, the vibration in the tunnels picking up speed. Sarah kept pace with him, panting roughly as they ran towards the destination on their map, not daring to look behind her. She knew they were getting closer, she could sense them, either through the In-Between or their hunger for her, she wasn't sure.

Focusing all her energy on running, she sprinted after Steve down the tunnels, watching out of the corner of her eye as the tunnels got larger the deeper they headed in. Steve kept chunking crystals as he ran, saving most of hers for their destination.

"Not much further!" He screamed, his pack almost empty.

_Please let this work,_ her mind worriedly thought, panting and pushing her screaming muscles even faster than before.

* * *

The makeshift elevator swayed briefly as it pulled them down the hole from the main lab where Jane used to run her tests for the scientists in the In-Between, where she'd first seen the beast and tore open the gate between worlds accidentally. As they descended into the hole that had formed from Doctor Owen's fire treatments in the room, spreading the reach of the Upside Down further into their world and avoiding his flare guns, Hopper could only describe what he was seeing as terrifying. Even though he'd already seen it once before when he'd been brought in after his near death in the tunnels, Hopper still wasn't prepared for the scale of the gate or the fear he felt when staring at it.

For hundreds of feet, a steep descending hole was visible, one side marred by a deep gash, a deep pulsing red smoldering from its center. The gash kept shifting, the edges red hot as if barely containing the tear, thin filaments of reality struggling to hold back the gateway to the other dimension.

Chief Hopper glanced down and saw the floor of the hole in the distance, the tunnel offshoots spawning below. Gaging his distance, he eventually shut the elevator motor off, turning to guard the far wall, looking for creatures.

He felt the sway of the elevator as Jareth and Jane took their posts on the other side. Glancing briefly over his shoulder, he saw them glance at one another, their expressions unreadable. Together, they turned, raising their hands and tilting their heads towards the gateway.

Briefly, the tunnel and hole rumbled, making the elevator sway roughly for a few seconds. Blinking, Hopper stared wide-eyed as the shadow of something massive moved in the distance on the other side of the gateway, a long deep growl filling the hole.

Jareth let out an equally angry growl in response and Jane swallowed but frowned, narrowing her gaze. Hopper watched, mesmerized, as the cracks of the gateway began to shrink, inch by inch.

Still, the creature behind the veil shifted closer.

* * *

"It's just up ahead, Sarah! Hold on, we're almost there!"

Every jerk of her muscles was like a hot coal being pressed against her body, her lungs long since on fire. Her body obeyed her will, however, well past exhaustion and simply responding to her determination to reach their destination. She ran, blindly following Steve, her gaze jerking up only as they saw a red glow up ahead, nearly stumbling as she gasped raggedly in horror, sucking air into her oxygen-starved lungs, seeing the massive gateway ahead where the tunnels ended.

"Come on!  _Sarah!_   _ **Come on!**_ " Steve screamed, gripping her upper arm and dragging her so roughly along with him she felt her arm wrench painfully in its socket. She screamed as she felt a shift in the air near her face, realizing how close the demogorgons were. Fear made her limbs find new strength and she ran with him, watching as Steve dropped the last of his crystal orbs.

Just as they tumbled into the main tunnel where the gateway was, the entire underground structure shuddered and shifted. The creatures immediately stiffened and stopped, mere inches from grabbing them both, shrieking in unison and looking up. Immediately, they left them and began climbing the hole, their focus on another target.

Sarah raised her head, looking at what distracted them. Her eyes went wide and she shuddered violently as she sucked in a sharp breath, determined not to scream to avoid distracting them.

Hanging several stories above them, Jareth and Jane worked from a hanging elevator scaffold on the gateway. Both were concentrating intensely and a looming shadow had begun to lean heavily against the gash in the hole between worlds. Sparks where flying as tendrils of something dark and frightening used its immeasurable strength to try and reach the two. Still, Jareth and Jane held their ground, equally focused and burning away anything that got too close. Still, it was a fight that was teetering on the cusp of going either way.

"Oh my god," Sarah heard Steve murmur from her side where he'd fallen down on his knees beside her.

Sarah's gaze shifted and she watched in horror as several demogorgons had climbed the hole walls and were nearing their elevator's precarious position. Hopper's guns rattled off several shots and the noise sprung her into action. If they reached them and distracted Jareth or Jane, all could be lost.

She dropped her gaze, grabbing the strap that held her crossbody against her and pulling it off her shoulders, beginning to dump the motherload of crystal orbs onto the floor.

"Help me!" She shouted at Steve, a loud roar almost drowning out her voice, the ground shaking once more, deep violent spasms that made it hard to stand. She didn't dare look up, afraid if she did she wouldn't be able to finish what they had come for. Steve snapped out of his horrified stare, grabbing crystals and throwing them with all his might towards the gateway, where they embedded in the eerie glowing red substance.

The roar grew louder and Sarah blinked as the red glowing gateway began to bubble and sizzle the nearby air. Her face felt instantly scalded and they finished throwing all her orbs at the gateway. Despite the heat, the crystal orbs remained unfazed. She looked over at Steve, hoping he was ready for what would come next, relieved when he nodded and pulled her close. She gripped her arms around him tightly and, praying the protection spell placed on her would hold for them both, squeezed her eyes tightly closed and whispered the needed words softly against him.

" _Now_ ," she whispered.

Almost instantaneously, the crystal orbs flashed a blindly bright white and immediately exploded.

* * *

Jonathan's grip wasn't tight enough to keep Will's thrashing body in place as the shadowy substance spread further across his body. Joyce leaned down to help and Will's hand shot out, grasping her tightly around the throat.

"Will, no!" Jonathan screamed, rushing to sit up and try and pry Will's grip off his mother's throat. Joyce gagged, a horrible wheezing noise sucking out of her throat as she tried to inhale against his grip. "Will, stop!"

Nancy stared, horrified, jerking up and reaching for the first thing that came to mind. Joyce had left a poker in the wood furnace to turn the logs and she gripped the end quickly, pulling out the glowing end and thrusting it against Will's leg.

He howled, instantly dropping his grip from Joyce's throat. The thrashing intensified, led on by some phantom pain they couldn't understand, the intensity of the inhuman screams coming from his throat making them all stumble back in shock and fear.

"Jesus," Jonathan whispered as Joyce watched frantically.

"Get out!  _Get out of him!_ _ **Get out!**_ " She screamed.

Suddenly, the air seemed to charge and they felt the hairs on their arms stand up as Will thrust upwards, the ink-like markings fading from his skin as a black cloud billowed from his mouth, spewing into the cabin room and then whisking out the door.

Nancy watched it disappear into the clouds before coming back and watching Will blink, frowning, as Jonathan rushed over and unplugged all the heaters and banked the heat on the furnace.

"Mom? Jonathan? Nancy? What's going on?" He frowned in confusion.

Joyce and Jonathan let out a combined sob and began to hug him fiercely as Nancy smiled, slumping against the wall.

* * *

"Sarah? SARAH?  _SARAH!_ _ **ANSWER ME! SARRRAAAHHH!**_ _"_

Sarah blinked and coughed, jolting awake at the sound of her name. She winced, feeling herself pinned under yards of earth and rock but as she wiggled her various body parts, noticed she remained relatively unharmed since nothing caused agonizing pain as she struggled to move. She was simply very weak, either through the blast or Jareth having drained most of her power. Either way, she was alive and thankful for it. She wheezed and coughed again as dust settled into her lungs, licking her lips to try and talk. She couldn't see much with the amount of dust in the air, but could sense no more otherness in the air and no red glow glaring at her from the walls of the hole.

_We did it,_ she thought with a small smile. She heard her name being screamed frantically again and she forced herself to reply.

"Here," she croaked, closing her eyes tiredly. Almost immediately, she felt a tingle and blast, Jareth's magic pulling away the rubble from around her and tugging her to him, his hands roaming all over her form, feeling for injuries.

" _Sarah!_  Sarah, love, are you alright?  _Gods,_  if you're harmed…" He whispered hoarsely, his hands trembling as he roamed them over her form worriedly. She smiled weakly and tried shrugging his hands off but it was no use, he wasn't going to believe her, insisting on doing his own inspection. She dropped her hands with a sigh, giving over to his gentle but intense inspection.

"Steve? Where's Steve?" She asked weakly, trying to lift her head.

"Stop asking about him," Jareth growled as his hands traveled down her body. She frowned and struggled against him, trying to stand. His grip on her tightened and she eventually gave up with a tired groan once more. "He's bloody fine. I'm tired of your constant concerns for that mortal boy."

Sarah heard a soft laugh behind her, making her open her eyes. There sat Steve, perched on a large bolder a few feet away, as dirty and disgusting as she but with all his limbs attached. She moaned in dismay as she noticed a deep cut across his forehead just over his right eye, blood still running down his face.

"You're hurt," she murmured sadly. He shrugged, wiping at his face with his dirty bandana. "And probably giving yourself tetanus..." She frowned, staring at the dirty cloth. He laughed faintly and shrugged.

"I've had my shots. You took the worst of it. I just got tossed to the other side of the room from the blast. Sorry I couldn't hold onto you tighter." She smiled weakly and heard Jareth growl, glaring up at Steve. Steve's jovial expression immediately dropped and he stood, raising his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Hey man, I'm sorry. I tried. I'm just a human, remember? Besides, your spell held. She's all there."

"Fortunately, she's relatively unharmed, if just tired. But next time, when I place the thing most precious to me in your hands,  _make sure you keep a tighter grip on her._ " Jareth ground out, glaring angrily at Steve and making him swallow and take a few steps back.

Sarah's tsking made Jareth look back down at her. His gaze softened and he cupped her cheek softly. "Can I move you?" He murmured.

She nodded.

"Good," He replied, flicking a wrist towards Steve. Steve blinked and was immediately gone. Sarah tensed, opening her mouth to protest.

"Relax, pet. He's back at his vehicle. Your mortal friend and the Chief are attending to the man we found injured in the lab. The children are safe, back at the Byer's home. Your other friends are fine and the boy has had the infection removed. Rest, precious. Let me take care of you."

Sarah slumped against him and sighed in relief. "It's over," she murmured, feeling him pull her up against him.

"Yes, precious. It's over." He replied softly in her ear. She smiled and immediately gave into her exhaustion, passing out as he whisked them out of the hole.


	21. New Beginnings

Sarah stirred as warm sunlight reached her eyes, turning gently in the soft sheets of the bed, feeling Jareth's warm body pressed up against her back. She smiled faintly and snuggled closer, squinting as she blinked, trying to brush her hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand.  _Where am I?_

"Good morning," Jareth's voice murmured softly against her back, a decidedly sexy tone as he still sounded half-asleep. She turned slightly in the bed, towards the sound of his voice, blushing when she realized they both weren't dressed, feeling his hips press against her buttocks and making her very aware of a certain part of his anatomy. It shouldn't, given what they'd done the previous night, but she was still getting used to that part of their relationship and being comfortable in her own skin.

"Um, morning…" She whispered, canting her head back to meet his gaze as her body twisted under the sheets, her body brushing up against his. He smiled, opening his eyes and reaching up to cup her jawline, briefly kissing her before pulling her in closer against him. She felt his cock surge to life against her hips, telling her she shouldn't worry if her body pleased him, his reaction was enough to tell her he liked what he saw.

"Mmm, sleep well?" His hands slowly began to roam over her figure, finding her breasts and lightly kneading. Sarah stilled and sucked in a sharp breath, feeling her body respond, her nipples beading to tight peaks in his palms. He chuckled against her shoulder and lightly nipped at the tender side of her neck.

"Y-yes," she said on a sigh, turning more fully towards him as the sound escaped her lips, forcing his hands to let go and curl around her hips. He groaned faintly as her nipples rubbed against his chest as she tried to adjust against him in the bed, her eyes scanning the room and recognizing it for his Hawkins residence.

"What…?" She murmured softly in confusion but before too long Jareth's mouth found hers and she lost track of what she wanted to ask.

His hands found her thighs, delving lower and pulling her flush against him, his erection pressing against her invitingly. She moaned at the feeling and he didn't need further encouragement, gently teasing her lips with his own as he rolled on top of her under the sheets, thrusting cautiously into her with a small shudder once her legs opened and he slid against her. She was ready and able to take him, the action only causing a small initial twinge of discomfort against the thick intrusion. His mouth tore away from hers and pressed into her hair, a low groan tearing from his lips.

" _More_ ," she sighed, arching her back and letting her knees fall open as he settled into her, her hands reaching down to cup his buttocks, urging him to move. His mouth dropped, finding the tender cords of her neck, just beneath her ear, and he tugged faintly with his teeth, tearing a loud moan from her, her whole body bucking under his, feeling the tug of his erection deep inside her as her hips canted upwards.

" _More,_  Jareth," she moaned again, urging him to move as he still hadn't, thinking she was going to go mad if he didn't. He tensed and pressed more of his weight into her, almost making it impossible for her to move. Her insides were melting as he sank a few more inches into her, making her crazy. Why wouldn't he move?

"I won't last," he finally panted against her ear, his voice hoarse. Still, she could feel him trembling with the urge to move, her body echoing the need by tightening around his cock, making him groan softly and thrust forward a little more.

She was on fire and knew he could feel the way her body melted around him, running her palms up his back. "Neither will I," she whispered, a resounding tremble moving through her own body, a tell-tale spasm fisting its way through her core.  _Please move, I need you to move,_ _ **right now!**_ Her body blocked out all other sensations except for the heavy pull of him inside her, waiting for him tothrust deep and hard and send her over the edge.

That seemed to break his control and within seconds he was moving, pushing up on his hands and slamming his hips forward, pounding into her hard and fast. The initial thrust sent her flying over the edge and had her arching underneath him as she screamed, holding onto him by clamping her arms on his shoulders, climaxing immediately in long, rolling spasms, her legs splayed wide to allow him room to move against her. She heard a groan tear from Jareth's throat as he kept thrusting, blindly hammering into her, splintering past his own precipice and joining her shortly after, stilling as heat flooded inside her while he came, shuddering against her.

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours later, they sat clothed, enjoying a late lunch in Jareth's kitchen in his small breakfast nook by the stove. A soft knock sounded on the front door, interrupting their casual conversation. Sarah frowned, pulling her napkin from her lap as she looked over at Jareth who sat beside her, sipping coffee. She almost snorted at the small unassuming smile on his face, tilting his head as if to inquire who it could be, so she stood and moved to get the door, leaving Jareth to his coffee in the kitchen.

"Hello?" She asked, peering through the window as she reached for the handle.

"It's us," came a chorus of uneven voices. She blinked, recognizing them all, opening the door quickly. Standing on the large porch was everyone from the prior evening: Mike and Nancy Wheeler, Jane and Chief Hopper, Joyce and Jonathan and Will Byers, Luke and Dustin and Max, and lastly Steve, standing slightly off to one side. They all stared, slightly unsure and wary as a strange silence drifted over the group.

"Uh, hey. Sorry, he gave us the address." Steve replied for them all, when no one said anything for a few moments, obviously wanting to break the tension.

Her eyebrows rose but she hid the surprise behind a smile. "Oh? Well, come in!" she grinned faintly and stepped back from the door, watching the small gathering return the smile cautiously. She motioned them in, asking them to join them in the kitchen. They nodded, walking into the entry way in single file, casting off their coats and throwing them on a couch when Sarah directed them where to put their things.

As Sarah directed them towards the kitchen and watched as they gaped at the lavish décor inside the house, Sarah blinked as their small kitchen table had been transformed into a gourmet buffet table, laden with various breakfast and lunch foods. Jareth sat off to one side, gesturing at the display casually.

"Join us?" He asked the group, canting his head to the side as Sarah moved across the room to join him. She cast him a pointed look when his gaze caught hers, laughing faintly, amusedly watching the others gawk at the display. The kids let out an excited cry and rushed forward, eager to try the various breakfast foods. Sarah smiled, noticing Will among them, back to his normal playful self. Her eyes flicked over to the others and she noticed how the adults and teenagers held back, looking over at Sarah, unconvinced about the hospitality when they'd seen little from Jareth to warrant such affections.

"It's okay, I promise. Eat." She urged, relaxing when they eventually joined the others and began to eat and drink.

"Thank you," she murmured softly at Jareth.

"Of course, love." He replied, pulling her close. They stayed there, letting the others eat and get comfortable.

After about an hour, the tension in the room was gone and everyone was laughing and talking amongst each other, making Sarah smile faintly from where she stood. She even watched as Jareth joined in, handling the barrage of questions from the kids with ease as he knelt by where they ate, returning their questions with answers and questions of his own. Sarah laughed as Jareth looked briefly taken aback at something Will had said, causing the other kids to burst into giggles. Even Will grinned and laughed, causing Sarah to still and smile, happy to see the boy engaging with everyone, including Jareth. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell she wasn't the only one who noticed and relaxed further when she saw mirrored smiles in the faces of the teenagers and adults. As he briefly looked over at her and winked before answering another question of Dustin's, Sarah felt her heart tug, knowing instinctually he'd be an excellent father. For the first time in a long time, Sarah was satisfied with her life, feeling completely at ease and with a sense of belonging. She swallowed past the lump of emotion that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"How you holding up?" A soft murmur came from her side, interrupting her observations. She looked over and smiled, spotting Steve cautiously approaching with Nancy and Jonathan. She shrugged her shoulders and wiping at her eyes, letting out an embarrassed laugh that the others simply smiled at, briefly looking back at Jareth, who's attention was focused on the kids, before looking back at the three.

"I'm good. I feel great. How is Will? Jane?" She asked, pausing a second when she noticed Steve no longer had a wound across his forehead.  _Jareth,_ she realized. He'd healed him.

"Will is great," Jonathan spoke softly, tears coming to his eyes as he looked over Sarah's shoulder at his brother playfully interacting with the others and Jareth. "He's back to being himself. I'm so thankful…for everything you and Jareth did…and Jane…I could never…" He stopped himself with a faint shudder and simply smiled again, focusing his gaze back on Sarah. "Thank you."

"It was a team effort," she replied softly, reaching out and squeezing his hand. He returned the gesture and then curled an arm around Nancy, who smiled faintly and blushed and motioned to Jane.

"Jane is fine. Thanks to Jareth and Doctor Owens, it seems she'll get to stay with the Chief." Sarah raised an eyebrow, spurring Nancy to continue. "Adoption papers. Somehow Jareth was able to clear some public records and get the Chief's name on her birth certificate. The Doctor was able to wipe the files about Jane at the lab, since no other employees still knew her. All the others were dead, they said."

"Oh, well…that's good?" She winced, swallowing, remembering Jareth telling her about the blood bath at the lab while they had languished in bed that morning.

"It's good for her, at least. It'll be the first time she's been allowed to be a normal kid, I suspect. The Chief really seems to care about her and she's happy with him...and Mike can actually have a normal relationship with her." Nancy grinned faintly, leaning forward as both their eyes looked over at Jane and Mike, who's heads were pressed together and they were whispering at each other. Jane blushed and giggled at something Mike said, who gave her a shy grin.

Sarah laughed, shaking her head. "I think he likes her."

Nancy nodded with a grin. "Yeah."

Sarah's eyes strayed towards Steve, who'd been quietly observing the group, not saying much. "Hey," she whispered, punching him lightly in the arm as Nancy and Jonathan moved past them towards the group, giving them some privacy.

"Hey, Williams." Steve smirked faintly over at her, his roguish behavior back in full display. She snorted and grinned at him, shaking her head.

"You're pretty great, you know that?" She blurted, shaking her head ruefully. "You're going to make some girl very happy one day."

He flushed and rolled his eyes, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, gesturing behind him to point at Jareth, who'd become increasingly interested in their conversation from across the room where he spoke with the children, stilling and watching them. Sarah laughed as she looked over at Jareth, noting the tell-tale signs of jealously. She forced herself not to roll her eyes. Immortal or not, he could be so predictable sometimes. He knew she loved him but the insecurity he felt towards her friendship with Steve made her inwardly chuckle and love him more. Ignoring Jareth for a moment, she looked back at the young man standing beside her. "Promise me you won't give up? You've got a big heart and someone won't trample it to pieces like me one day. I swear."

He swallowed and nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he looked back at her. While he was uncomfortable with her affectionate talk, the gesture was genuine and she relaxed, returning the smile. "Yeah well, you're not so bad yourself. Promise me you'll give him a hard time for me? Can't make his life too easy, tripping over his good looks and magic and immortality."

She snorted with laughter and grinned, making Steve chuckle back. Not able to help herself, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. He laughed and patted her cheek playfully and moved to join Jonathan and Nancy.

She could sense him before she heard him, his arms possessively curling against her hips and bringing her back against his chest a few moments after. "You saw that, did you?" She questioned, amused, still watching the group.

"Yes, and I didn't like it," Jareth replied, but his tone was gentle, letting her know he didn't take offense. "One begins to wonder where your heart lies, little cat…" He teased, dropping one hand and rubbing it against her ass, where the others couldn't see. "Should I punish you later?" While she liked where his thoughts were going, she laughed softly and turned, pulling on the lapels of his collar to kiss him soundly, keeping it tame due to the company they were in.

"Relax, you beast," she teased back, tilting her head back to see his eyes open and a lazy smile play on his lips as he looked down at her. "You've ruined me for all other men so you've got nothing to worry about."

"Good," he replied smugly with a hint of laughter in his eyes. "That was my plan all along."

 

* * *

 

 

Jareth didn't push for their return to the Underground, so their stay lapsed into a week. Sarah got used to the group coming and going by their house, somehow sensing Sarah was on borrowed time. When a few days had passed and Jareth had to leave to satisfy some urgent business Underground, Sarah found herself staring across the coffee table in the living room at Nancy who'd asked her a question she wasn't quite ready to answer.

"I'm not ready," she replied evasively, shifting on the couch cushions.

"Sarah, you're never going to be ready," Nancy replied gently, leaning forward to catch Sarah's gaze, which had started to wander around the room with the uncomfortable topic. She frowned but met Nancy's stare.

"I know that, Nancy. But somehow avoiding it makes it seem less real, less final." She sighed, closing her eyes and burying her face in her hands. She wasn't grief-stricken, which surprised her, just melancholy. She really wanted to just avoid the subject but knew deep down, Nancy was right.

"I can go with you, if you want. A girl from school works at the daycare Toby goes to and owed me a favor. I even have a reason for us to stop by. Come on, Sarah. It'll do you good to say goodbye. You'll end up regretting it if you don't."

Nancy's gentle tone finally had her glancing up, rubbing at her eyes and standing. "Alright," she murmured. "Let's go."

 

 

The drive took less time than she thought, seemingly almost instantaneous as she stared up at what used to be her old house. Nancy reached back and produced the blanket she knew Toby couldn't do without, Nancy's friend having come through and keeping the object hidden when Karen had come to pick up Toby after visiting her father at a work luncheon.

Steeling herself, she took the blanket from Nancy's hand and exited the car, waiting for Nancy to join her. She smiled briefly at Nancy, suddenly overcome with nerves, following her towards the porch awning.

Ringing the doorbell, they waited together for several minutes, eventually hearing the turn of the lock as the door swung open, revealing Karen's frazzled face with a harsh sobbing Toby heard in the background.

"Oh, thank god!" Karen cried, flinging open the screen door and motioning them inside. "The daycare called, you girls must work there? Come in, come in. They called me a few minutes ago saying you found it. Bless you, you are angels. He's having the temper tantrum of his life."

Sarah stepped inside, scanning the entry hall, already feeling her chest tighten as the family photos gracing the walls had notably changed, her image having been removed as if it was never there to begin with.

"Um, I can give it to him? Where is he?" She asked softly, looking back at Karen who'd raced across the house towards the kitchen.

"Yes!" She called out, hurrying. "Sorry, I've got something on the stove and I don't want it to burn! He's upstairs! You're a doll! I'll be up in a minute!"

Nancy smiled when Sarah looked back at her and murmured that she'd wait by the doorway, allowing Sarah a moment with Toby. She swallowed and moved towards the stairs, keeping her eyes on her feet, avoiding the door that used to be her room. She didn't want to look inside, knowing every single piece of evidence that she'd been there at all would have been removed. It saddened her but she knew, deep down, this was the best thing for her family. She didn't want to have to explain her long absences, or god forbid if she couldn't return, make them think she'd been kidnapped or killed. She'd felt that kind of fear when she'd initially wished Toby away and knew if she hadn't saved him, that horrible sense of guilt and not knowing how he was doing would haunt her the rest of her life. She couldn't do that to them.

The sobbing grew louder as she neared her parent's old bedroom, his door just across the hall from theirs. Briefly, she cast her head towards her parent's room, noticing everything was eerily similar. She smiled. Some things didn't change, it appeared.

"Hey," she spoke softly as she entered Toby's room, seeing the boy crying loudly on the floor in front of a TV that blasted cartoons. He sat in the center of a child's play pen, still too small to wander about on his own. He stilled, still sniffling, his small adorable face scrunched up as tears slid down his cheeks, only stopping his wailing when he noticed her and the blanket.

Instantly, his face broke out in joy and he stood on his little legs, wandering as only a toddler can towards her, hands thrust out in joy at the sight of his blanket in Sarah's grasp. She smiled, dropping to her knees, handing him the blanket in the play pen, watching him fall to his bottom, holding the blanket against him.

"I'm going to miss you," she murmured softly, keeping her voice low in case Karen joined her soon.

Toby grinned at her, gnawing on his blanket. She smiled faintly and rose to stand, moving towards the door.

"Sawah," Toby babbled, making her blink and still, looking back over at him.

"What did you say?" She whispered, leaning down.

Toby simply giggled and sat up, dropping his blanket and coming over to run his fists through her hair, tugging gently. "Sawah," he said again. Sarah blinked, willing herself not to cry as she heard Karen approaching, standing quickly and forcing a smile on her face as her step-mother came into the room.

"I see he's taken to you," Karen smiled, reaching down to tug him up into her lap, grabbing the blanket. She tried to hand it to him but he threw it aside, thrusting his hands out again and leaning forward, blatantly wanting Sarah to hold him.

Sarah blinked as Karen laughed and handed Toby over, willing herself not to cry once more as his little arms curled around her neck and his head pressed against her chest, teasing her nostrils with the undeniable scent of baby. She trembled but cast Karen an apologetic smile, watching as the woman grinned and shook her head, resting her hands on her hips.

"My, my. We have a little crush, don't we? He never takes to strangers so quickly. Do you sit with him a lot at the daycare?"

"Yeah, you could say that," she replied evasively, offering Karen a small smile. She patted Toby on the back and felt his fists squeeze her shirt into little crumples of fabric, eventually relaxing, seemingly falling asleep in her arms. Karen simply watched, letting out a faint chuckle and shaking her head.

"You'd be a great babysitter," She commented, making Sarah cringe at the memory. She laughed softly at Karen's questioning gaze and shook her head gently. "It's nothing. I can put him down, sounds like he wore himself out with crying."

Karen nodded and motioned behind her to the crib Toby still slept in. Sarah moved and placed his sleeping form in it, taking the blanket from Karen and tucking him in. Karen moved up beside her and smiled down at the sleeping child.

"You planning on having more kids?" She asked, looking back at Karen. Karen seemed surprised at the question, shaking her head and looking down at the boy. "I don't think so. His father is too busy and I'm…well, getting too old." She chuckled, moving towards the hallway. Sarah followed with a frown.

"But don't you think he needs siblings? Like a brother or a sister?"

Karen paused at the top of the stairs and looked back with a faint smile. "I'd have loved that. For him to have a sister, you know. I always wanted a daughter, but it just seems that fate didn't have that in the works for me." She patted Sarah's hand affectionately and moved down the stairs. Sarah felt tears once again pricking at edges of her eyelids but willed them to go away, smiling faintly at Karen and moving with her down the stairs to where Nancy waited at the entry way.

"Can I get you girls anything before you go? A glass of tea? Soda? You didn't have to bring his blanket over or put him down for the night, so I feel like I owe you something."

Sarah shook her head and so did Nancy, moving towards the door. Just as they were about to leave, Sarah looked back at Karen and blurted out what was on her mind.

"You're a good mom, you know. I never really had a close biological mother, but I had one like you. She was my step-mom but she loved me. She gave me a brother who I thought I hated but I couldn't live without once I stopped being a selfish teenager. I wasn't ever close to my dad, so it was a surprise that the woman even dealt with me, yet alone loved me, when I was at my most difficult stage. So, you know, if you ever consider having more, I think you'd rock at it Mrs. Williams."

Karen stilled, staring at Sarah for several seconds, tears shining in her eyes as she smiled at her. She reached up and cupped her cheek. "What a lovely thing to say, darling. Thank you. Whatever it's worth, it sounds like you're a pretty good daughter too."

Sarah swallowed and smiled and pulled away, moving towards the car with Nancy. They said nothing as they drove back to her house and Nancy asked her if she wanted her to come inside. Sarah shook her head and climbed out the car, keeping her emotions in check. Just as Nancy sighed and shifted the car to pull away, Sarah looked over her shoulder from where she'd been moving across the lawn to go back into the house, calling out to her.

"Hey..."

Nancy stopped the car, rolling down her window, peering at Sarah.

"Thanks," she replied softly, casting a small sad smile Nancy's way. "You were right."

Nancy simply smiled and pulled the car away from the curb, driving away.

She turned then, alone in the yard, pulling her keys out of her pocket. Her hands trembled and she dropped them a few times as she tried to place her key in the lock and eventually she felt him beside her, reaching out and taking her hands and her set of keys, opening the door for her. Once inside, she fell against Jareth and he held her close, letting her sob out her grief.

 

* * *

 

 

As it turned out, a week later the news on every TV station had suddenly become centered on the little town of Hawkins, Indiana. It was becoming hard to navigate down town with all the news crews. It seemed, by all outward appearances and reporter claims, that the government lab had been a secret testing facility for weapons of bio-organic destruction and they covered up a serious leak, which had been the cause behind the deaths of several locals like Bob Newby and Barbara Holland. Sarah blinked from where she sat on the couch, snuggled against Jareth's side, sharing a bowl of popcorn as they watched old movies on TV.

He still hadn't pressed for their return and she was grateful for it, assuming he'd transport them when she asked him to, something she wasn't quite ready to do yet but was becoming more accustomed to the idea as the days passed. If the Underground demanded him, he'd simply leave her to her friends for a few hours before returning. She knew, though, they would need to head back soon, as his time away had started to grow. She had to remember he still had a kingdom to run. Still, it was movie night and she'd got to pick, settling on A Streetcar Named Desire, groaning in annoyance at first when the news had come on, interrupting their show. As the details spilled out over the TV, she cast Jareth a knowing look as he grinned, popping a few pieces of the snack into his mouth.

"Terrible news, isn't it? Can't trust anyone these days…" He drawled, making her laugh. They jumped as a loud knock blasted against their front door and Sarah groaned, pulling herself to her feet, not bothering to straighten her pajamas.

Flinging open the door, she saw the Chief in uniform and Nancy in school clothes, looking wild-eyed at her and Jareth, who she heard rise from the couch, approaching from behind.

"Did you…" They both started, staring at Jareth who slung an arm around Sarah's shoulders. He shrugged and grinned, finally showing a playful side to the mortals who'd become pretty involved in their life after the gate closure.

"Perhaps," he replied smugly.

Nancy laughed and Chief Hopper blinked, grinning like a fool. Sarah motioned them in before they caught stares from the neighbors, laughing as Nancy fist bumped Jareth and Chief Hopper simply shook his head at their silliness.

"Got those fuckers right where it hurt," the man replied with a grin, nodding his approval.

Jareth chuckled and motioned them into the living room. "The important thing is, no more harm will come from that place," he replied as he settled onto the couch him and Sarah had been lounging in, the others settling in the loveseat across the coffee table, Sarah joining Jareth.

"Now, I still am leery of that place, as the barrier is still tender. I've laid some careful wards, similar to this place, which should alert me if anything comes amiss. I trust you'll check on it periodically, just to be sure that all is well?"

Chief Hopper shifted in his seat, casting Sarah a confused look before glancing back at Jareth. "I thought you were removing our memories?"

"Yes, about that…it seems unwise now. While I'd initially planned to do so, in the event that..thing…attempts anything again, it would consume time and energy to remove the blocks and alter your memories and time itself. Wouldn't it be easier if I simply left the memories there?"

"Jareth, what're you saying?" Sarah murmured, curling her fingers gently in his hair. He smiled over at her, squeezing her hand in his, before looking back at the others.

"That creature isn't gone. I'd feel more comfortable if someone I knew was guarding it. Simply put, I'd like to offer a truce. You can keep your memories…if you allow my house to act as a sort of embassy between our worlds. I will find a suitable candidate from my realm to stay here and help observe the wards and if the situation becomes dire enough, Sarah and I can return and assist you if needed."

Sarah stared, dumbfounded at the change in Jareth. Not even a month ago, he'd been ready to kill the mortals that had unknowingly dragged her into this mess. Now, he was offering his help and not altering their memories. While she still firmly believed it was best for the time being that her family didn't remember her, she was beyond shocked and filled with emotion that he'd do this for these friends of hers who'd come to mean so much to her.

"I…" Chief Hopper seemed at a loss for words, brushing off his uniform hat and ruffling his hands through his hair. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, for trusting us, for helping us. You've got yourself a deal."

As the Chief leaned forward to shake Jareth's hand, Sarah and Nancy shared a smile.

 

* * *

 

 

"You sure you gotta leave so soon? We can't convince you to host another game night?" Whined Dustin from the doorway of the living room, watching Sarah and Jareth pack up what few things they'd wanted to bring back to the Underground in small old-fashioned packs. Sarah laughed, already feeling odd as she moved around the living room once more in her Goblin Queen finery, Jareth looking equally regal in his kingly ensemble. Dustin had excited gawked at both of them when he'd first seen them and Sarah bit the inside of her cheek with amusement as Jane and Nancy stared at her husband, slightly dazed, as Jareth moved about the room.

 _When he's full-hilt in Goblin King mode, he seems to have that effect._ She chuckled faintly to herself, causing the others to break their stare and blush when they overheard it, darting back into the kitchen where the others had been eating a late dinner that they'd invited them to as a goodbye parting gift.

"Don't forget, little one, we have a kingdom to run." Jareth replied, coming up to stand beside Sarah, casting an amused glance down at Dustin. "Perhaps one day, I'll drag you along for a visit, hm?"

Dustin's eyes grew wide as he let out a cry of excitement, bolting into the other room. "Guys?!  _ **GUYS?!**_  Jareth – I mean,  _the mighty Goblin King -_ says we can visit him some day! Isn't that badass?"

Sarah laughed as Jareth grinned and leaned in, kissing her gently. "You look beautiful," he murmured, pulling her against him.

"And you are very handsome," she replied, returning the kiss. The others coughed and dragged her attention towards them, every one of them standing in the doorway and grinning.

"Don't be strangers, ok?" Chief Hopper replied, chewing on a piece of pizza by Joyce. While she knew they wouldn't admit it, Sarah had picked up on how often those two were huddled together, sensing something else was going on between them. She smiled, happy for them both.

"We won't," she replied, looking over them all. "You're my family. I don't forget my family. We'll visit every once and a while. Try and not tear anymore holes in reality, okay?"

Jane blushed as the group laughed.

"Yo, when's this ambassador of yours coming?" Steve yelled from the other room. "And why do I have to be on civic duty and introduce this changeling to society? Come on…." He groaned.

Jareth grinned over at Sarah, who raised an eyebrow. "Because I demand it of you, mortal." He called out, hearing Steve's echo of grouchy acceptance from the other room. Jareth simply laughed.

"What…" She murmured against Jareth, who'd already tugged her close and waved casually at the others, whisking them back Underground.

"Trust me, he won't be complaining in a few days," Jareth replied with a soft laugh.

She narrowed her eyes, ready to bombard him with a thousand intrusive questions, still slightly protective of Steve, when she heard a collective gasp from around her. She stiffened, not expecting company when they returned Underground, turning her head and staring with a brief widening of her eyes (although she did a pretty damn good job of keeping her features relatively schooled, if she had to admit) as an audience like she'd never seen had gathered in an unfamiliar ballroom at the castle. Gnomes, goblins, dwarves, various mythical creatures and even some of the haughty fae could be seen in the distance. The crowed was a sea of colors, staring with wide eyes at  _her._

"What…" She started again, keeping her tone soft and faint so it wouldn't carry past Jareth's ears, casting her head back at Jareth who'd turned to address the group, his face back to the familiar mask he wore when surveying his kingdom.

"Underground citizens….may I present the Champion of the Labyrinth, Sarah Williams, your Queen."

Sarah swallowed faintly, glancing back at the crowd as a noise rose in the distance, realizing quickly it was the sound of thousands of knees bending, the crowd dropping to kneel at their feet.

Jareth simply offered her the briefest flash of a smile. "Welcome home, my Queen."

 

* * *

 

 

Steve tossed a hand angrily through his hair, annoyed at getting the call at his house to swing by the home Sarah had just left a few days earlier. The Chief had said that Jareth had sent his ambassador up and he needed to show the fae guest -  _fucking great, another goddamn fae…what happened to a changeling? At least they started out as human!_  – around town and be polite about it.

His mood thoroughly ruined, he rolled out of his car as he stopped it in front of what was once Jareth and Sarah's house, moving swiftly up the slope of the yard and knocking on the door. He waited there for a few minutes and grew even more agitated, banging loudly on the door.

"I'm coming!" Yelled an exasperated voice from the other side, making Steve still. He couldn't make out if it was a man or a woman, but it sounded young. Rubbing a hand across his brow, he groaned.  _Great, and it's probably a teenager equivalent or younger. Awesome._  He knew nothing about fae but he was leery of anything young, considering how Sarah's stories about the Underground made him nervous to babysit someone who could get into mischief. He'd already had his hands full with Dustin and the other kids, who'd he had struck up a paternal friendship with.

He waited a few more seconds then began banging on the door again. "Hey, listen, I've got to do some studying tonight so if you could just let me in, we can get this over – "

He blinked as the door was yanked open, angry blue eyes meeting his that were affixed to the most gorgeous blonde creature he'd ever seen. He stared, mouth hanging open, as his eyes wandered, seeing her body barely wrapped up in a wet towel.

 _Oh damn,_ he swallowed, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

She seemed equally dumbfounded into silence, staring at him with a small gasp, her eyes roaming over his form. She looked outside then grabbed his shirt with one hand, dragging him into the house and slamming the door shut.

Steve didn't know what to make of it, blinking at her strength.  _Why do I find this kind of sexy?_ His thoughts immediately popped up with. He would have kicked himself but she was too busy staring at him with such intense fascination he became self-conscious.

"What? Something on my face?" He asked, dabbing at his chin.

She grinned faintly and swiftly started to unbutton his shirt. "Hey, what are you doing?!" He blinked, thrusting his hands up to grab her wrists and forcing her to stop.

She immediately blushed and pulled back, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Fae aren't very good at observing…what does the Queen call it? Ah, 'mortal personal space.' She said I wasn't supposed to do this, but my curiosity got away from me."

He grew even more confused. "Yeah, personal space….but what's got you so curious?" He asked, wanting to know why she stared at him so intently.  _Please, god, if you exist, make it because she likes me. Do I look like a toad or something to her?_

"Well, we don't have many dark-colored men. I was curious…." She blushed and cast her face away.

His heart hammered in his chest as he reached out and tilted her chin to look back at him. "Curious about what?"

"If you're like that everywhere…" She whispered.

 _Oh my fuck, she wants to see me naked!_ His thoughts turned giddy.

He suddenly grinned. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," he blurted out, deciding to throw caution to the wind. He could imagine the Chief's expression at that moment, yelling at Steve that  _fucking_ the ambassador was probably not part of the 'Welcome to Hawkins' package, but he didn't really give a damn in that moment.

The blonde dream girl simply grinned and tossed away her towel, jumping against Steve and throwing him against the wall.

Needless to say, they didn't make it out of the house for the night.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TEAM STEVE! I had to give my boy the time of his life, he's such a good soul in this (and really redeemed himself hardcore in season 2! It made me feel so bad not liking him at first in season 1!)
> 
> However, that being said, this is the end of this fanfic! I've kept it open-ended so I can do sequels when Season 3, 4 and potentially 5 creep along. I really want to thank everyone who's taken the time to read this fic, as I know cross-overs can be muddy territory and somewhat avoided by fanfic readers (which I find odd, but true). I hope this was an enjoyable experience for my readers and it's really rekindled my urge to write.


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